Return to Me
by Azzurri Raine
Summary: After eight years, Uchiha Sasuke has finally returned to Konoha. Is it too late for him to rectify the past? Or will everything be laid to rest as new memories are made?
1. Returns and Indifferences

Title: Return to Me

Rating: M

Summary: After eight years Uchiha Sasuke has finally returned to Konoha. He will discover that a lot of things have changed, especially a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, no matter how much I beg and pray . . . sigh . . .

Read and review please. Arigatou.

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**Chapter 1**

The pink-haired young woman fell onto the ground, squinting as the bright sunlight shone on her face. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her breasts rising and falling with each quick breath she took. Closing her eyes, she sighed and stretched her arms, feeling the cool grass beneath her bare skin.

"You used too much chakra in that last move."

"Yes, I know," she replied calmly, not at all startled by the masculine voice. She'd sensed him several minutes ago, right before he instantly masked his chakra. Strange, she mused. Years ago she wouldn't have noticed him even if he hadn't masked his chakra. Ah, what a pitiful excuse of a ninja she'd been back then.

"You shouldn't push yourself too much."

"Yes, I know."

His shadow covered her prone figure as he came to stand next to her, staring down at her with a bemused expression on his face. "Is that all you're going to say?" he asked.

She opened her eyes to gaze up at his bright blue ones. She half smiled and brushed her bangs away from her face. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I should be asking you the same question."

"Unlike you, you lazy ass, I was training," she answered. "We can't all have inhuman amount of stamina, you know."

"And we can't all have inhuman amount of strength," he shot back.

"You realize that isn't a very good comeback, don't you?" she said wryly.

"Yeah, I know." He let out a small sigh and then fell on the ground beside her. He brought up his knees and slung an arm over them.

For a moment, neither of them spoke a word, both of them comfortable enough in each other's presence to withstand the silence. After a while, she sat up, mimicking his move by wrapping her slim arms around her long legs. The sun glinted on their hairs, hers a unique shade of pink, his a bright yellow color.

From where they sat, they could see the field that was painfully familiar to them. The very field they'd come together, not only as a team, but as a family. The legendary Team 7, that was what they were known as. All of them unique in their own special way. And all of them, in the end, decided to walk their own path.

It was he who finally broke the silence. After a brief glance at her, he returned his bright blue gaze to the field, his heart twisting slightly at the memories the sight invoked.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" he repeated his earlier question, his tone soft.

This time, though, she didn't reply. Like him, her eyes were also focused on the training field. _Their_ training field, she thought. After Team 7, no one else had used that spot, even though it was clearly a suitable place to train. Maybe they did it out of respect, or maybe they did it because they didn't want to end up the way Team 7 had, but for whatever reason, no one dared to use it.

"He's been asking about you, you know," her companion continued in the same gentle voice.

"Has he?" she said indifferently.

"Aa," he answered. "It's always one of the few things he says when I come to visit him; 'Where is she?' or 'Is she coming today?' or 'How is she?' Sometimes I think it's the first thing he wants to ask but he doesn't want to lose his 'cool guy' image. That teme."

A wry smile twisted her lips. Oh, yes, that sounded like their former teammate all right. "He doesn't even say my name. What makes you think he's asking about me?"

"Who else would he ask for?"

"It's not like I don't visit him at _all_."

"Oh, no, of course not," the blonde young man said, sarcasm heavily lacing his words. "You come in once in a while, check his wounds and then leave without saying more than three words. Hell, Sakura, you barely even _look_ at him!"

"What would you have me do, Naruto?" she asked softly. "Would you have me engaged in an idiotic, one-sided conversation? Or would you perhaps prefer me to sit by his bed and peel apples for him, only to have them tossed to my face?"

"That was a long time ago, Sakura!"

"No. It was only a memory ago," she whispered. She shook her head as if to erase the dark thoughts away and then turned to look at her best friend, a bright smile on her face. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I'll visit him later, okay?"

Instead of feeling pacified, Naruto felt even worse. "I hate it when you do that."

"Eh? Do what, Naruto?"

"That." He pointed at her face. "I hate it when you smile."

Sakura blinked. "You don't like to see me smile? Why, Uzumaki Naruto, what kind of friend are you? I thought friends wanted their friends to smile."

"Not like that. It's empty. It's not genuine at all," the blonde said bluntly. "It hasn't been genuine for years. I thought . . . when he came back . . . I'd see you smile again. A _real_ smile, like the girl I used to know always wore. The girl I used to know would never smile like you're smiling now. She would never smile to hide her true feelings. Hell, she didn't even know _how_ to hide her feelings. When she was happy, she laughed. When she was sad, she cried. When she was hurt . . . well, she'd cried some more." Naruto smiled wistfully. "That's the girl I used to know. Where is she now, Sakura-_chan_?"

"She grew up, Naruto," Sakura answered crisply. She climbed to her feet and dusted her skirt. "I'll come by later today. Ja ne, Naruto."

She had walked several feet away when Naruto abruptly sprang to his feet and shouted, "Eight years, Sakura!"

She froze, but she kept her back to him.

"Eight years we've waited for him," he continued. "Eight years we've searched for him, prayed that he'd come back. And you . . . you've been miserable, hiding yourself behind your smiles. Now that he's back, I thought . . . you would smile again . . . _really_ smile . . ."

Sakura's fists clenched at her sides, but she remained quiet.

"He needs you, Sakura."

Her eyes briefly closed and she forced herself to speak past the bitter lump in her throat. "Does he?" she said quietly. Against her will, a hollow laugh escaped her throat. "He doesn't need anyone, Naruto, least of all me."

"You're wrong, Sakura. He's changed. He's different. Itachi's dead and he's—"

"Naruto!" Her sharp voice cracked through the air, startling the birds from their perches on the trees. She took a deep, steadying breath and then turned to look at her best friend over her shoulder. She smiled at him and said, "I am happy that he's back, Naruto, but _I_ won't go back. Now if you'd excuse me, I have some work to do for seishou-sama. Ja ne."

And with that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving her friend alone to stare at the field in which their lives had been irrevocably changed.

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_Eight years_ . . . 

Naruto's words rang in her mind as she made her daily rounds through the hospital. Hai, they had waited eight years. _She_ had waited eight years.

_Sakura yawned and stretched her arms lazily above her head. She glanced at the two new Jounin on either side of her, a languid smile on her face. "Man, that was a good mission, wasn't it?" _

_They glanced at her as if she were crazy. One of them was clutching his bandaged ribs, still feeling the soreness there despite the attention he'd been given by the top medical kunoichi, bar the Hokage herself. "If you say so, Sakura-sama," he mumbled, his face slightly red as he recalled the mistake he'd made. If the pink-haired kunoichi hadn't intercepted, he would have been dead by now._

"_Hey, lighten up. So you made a mistake; just don't make it again. And be thankful that you're still alive," Sakura told him with a cheerful smile, one that, unnoticed by the two Jounin, didn't reach her eyes._

"_Sakura-sama," the other Jounin called out to her and she tried not to wince. She'd tried to make them drop the suffix during their one-week long mission but she'd yet to be successful._

"_Hai?"_

"_We're coming near the gates."_

_She smiled. "Hai," she agreed softly and they picked up their pace._

_The sight of Konoha's gates never failed to make her feel at peace and she passed through it with a pleased sigh. It was midday and the streets were busy. And if the crowds were larger than usual today, she didn't remark on it. She turned to the two new Jounin, telling them to go home before leaving them to make her way to the Hokage's tower. _

"_Sakura-neechan!" she heard a familiar voice calling out to her above the noise emitted by the villagers. She stopped walking to search for its source._

"_Sakura-neechan!"_

_Sakura whirled around and was almost barreled to the ground by the dark-haired teenager that screamed her name in her ear. "Sakura-neechan!"_

"_Konohamaru!" she exclaimed, covering her ears. "Konohamaru, I'm right here. Stop screaming."_

"_Hai, hai," the young but sadly misdirected Naruto worshipper said impatiently. He tugged on her hand. "Come on, Sakura-neechan. Tsunade-sama told me to bring you the hospital the moment you arrive."_

_She blinked. "What? Why?"_

"_No time to explain. Come on, Sakura-neechan!"_

_Two minutes later, they were running down the corridor in the hospital towards one of the rooms. Konohamaru refused to tell her what was going on despite her questions and short of punching him through several walls, she didn't know what else to do._

_They finally slowed down when they arrived in a room where a group of people were crowding around a bed. Most of them she knew; she spotted the familiar bright yellow hair and the silver head near the head of the bed. _

_Her former sensei must have sensed her presence because he turned around, a gentle look in his uncovered eye. She knew he was smiling beneath his mask, as she could see the crinkle at the corner of his eye. "Ah, Sakura."_

"_Kakashi-sensei," she replied, puzzled. "What's—"_

_Her question was cut off by a loud "Sakura-chan!" Over the years, his voice had deepened, had lost it boyishness and matured into that of a young man, but the affection he'd always used when saying her name was still very much there and she doubted it would ever go away._

_She smiled at him. "Naruto," she said warmly, stepping forward. She was still slightly breathless from her run. "Konohamaru said . . ."_

_Once again, she wasn't able to finish her sentence. She wasn't even able to think clearly. No, it seemed as if the moment Kakashi and Naruto had moved away from the bed, everything she had, everything she felt was focused on the person sitting there._

_She took in the spiky black hair, longer now and even more unruly. She studied the bare arms that had grown more muscular, at the faint scars she could see there. _

_Her heart beat rapidly and she felt as if she could hardly breathe. "Sasu . . ."_

_He stared back at her, his gaze dark and intent. "Sakura."_

_She almost shivered. Like Naruto's, his voice had deepened. No longer a boy, she thought. Just as she was no longer a girl, he was no longer a boy. His face had lost its boyish roundness and his features were now sharper, more prominent. As a twelve-year-old, he'd been cute, but as a twenty-year-old, he was utterly handsome. _

_Her round green gaze met his black one. The onyx orbs were devastatingly familiar, filled to such depths with hidden emotions. A bitter laugh threatened to escape her throat. After all these years, she was still unable to read them, to know what he thought, what he felt. _

_She took a step forward, her knees trembling. For years, she'd dreamed of this day. She'd dreamed of how it would be when he came back, of how she would react, of how she would feel. And now that the day was finally here, she felt . . ._

Nothing_. At least nothing that she'd thought she would feel._

"_Can you believe it, Sakura?" Naruto asked excitedly, oblivious to his friend's inner turmoil. "He showed up just before dawn, bruised and bloodied. Che, who knew the teme could be so weak?"_

"_Shut up, dobe," Sasuke said quietly and the words tugged at Sakura's heartstrings and a glance at Naruto told her that he felt the same. How many years had they waited to hear those words, uttered in that familiar, impassive tone? _

Too long_, she thought._

"_Ne, Sakura, aren't you going to say anything?" Naruto demanded, still smiling widely. "It's Sasuke! He's back!"_

_Sakura looked at the bright grin on Naruto's face to the softness in Kakashi's exposed eye to Tsunade's encouraging smile. And then she turned to look at Sasuke, who stared back at her, his eyes unreadable but the beginnings of that oh-so familiar smirk playing at the corners of his lips. For the first time since she'd entered the room, she took in the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. A thick bandage was wrapped around his stomach and fading marks covered what the bandage didn't. He was pale beneath his light tan and while he was sitting up, she could see the fatigue on his expression. _Bruise and bloodied_, was how Naruto had described him. _

_She took a step back, surprising the others. She ignored them, her eyes glued on Sasuke's. She bowed slightly and when she raised her head, there was a smile on her face. "Hello, Sasuke," she said, her voice clear and pleasant. "It's good that you're back."_

"_Ah . . . aa . . ." he replied, startled himself by her coolness. It was obvious that he hadn't expected this kind of response—not from her. _

_She smiled and tilted her head, clasping her hands behind her. "Well, then, I hope you get well soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish the report on my mission. With your permission, Tsunade-sama?" she said, turning to the older woman._

_The Hokage was apparently too shocked to do anything but nod and with a short wave, Sakura left the room._

"_Oi, matte, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out. _

"_Sakura!" Kakashi exclaimed._

_She kept on walking._

Naruto had eventually caught up to her, only to be frustrated by her vague answers. Sakura herself wasn't sure why she'd reacted the way she had or why it seemed as if she were avoiding Sasuke. It was just a feeling within her, a voice that prevented her from going to him. She was no longer the eager, easily excited girl who would tread through fire to be by his side and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be that girl anymore.

She approached the closed door slowly and as her hand twisted the doorknob, she mentally donned her medic cap. Her face was impassive as she stepped into the room, but a small smile curved her lips when she looked at the young man sitting up in his hospital bed, much like he'd had the first day of his return.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke."

He turned from staring out of the window to look at her, his face emotionless. He had sensed her approaching, so he wasn't surprised by her presence.

"Sakura," he acknowledged.

If she were bothered by his lack of conversation skills, she didn't show it. She stepped further into the room, her eyes straying to the small vase of flowers on the small table beside the bed. She recognized the flowers and dimly wondered if her childhood friend and one-time rival had come to visit recently. She cringed slightly as she recalled the conversation she'd had with Ino a couple of days ago. Like Naruto, her friend couldn't understand her reaction—or rather, lack of thereof—towards Sasuke's return and as it did most of the times, their "talk" had escalated into an argument, ending with Sakura storming off from a yelling Ino who couldn't chase after her because she had to take care of her family's shop.

Stroking the soft petals, Sakura made a mental note to stop by Yamanaka's Flower Shop after her shift. She didn't want to stay mad at Ino and she didn't want her friend to stay mad at her either.

Shifting her thoughts away from her blonde friend to the raven-haired young man in the room, she looked at him and asked, "How do you feel today?"

"Better," he answered. "My ribs don't hurt that much anymore. My wounds are still tender but I can feel them healing."

"That's shishou-sama for you," Sakura said with a smile. She tilted her head, her long pink hair cascading over one shapely shoulder. "You were lucky. Shishou-sama told me you lost a lot of blood. If she hadn't gotten to you in time . . ."

"Aa," he agreed.

There were some things, Sakura reflected, that would never change and his pride was one of them. She knew he would sooner swallow his shoe than admit how grateful he was to Tsunade or how close he'd come to dying. She shook her head and gestured at him to lean forward. "I'll change your bindings."

As her hands deftly handled the thick bandages around his ribs, Sasuke watched her, trying not to show how her nearness or her touch affected him. There were some things, he mused, that would never change and her scent was one of them. She still smelled of vanilla, with a slight hint of ginger. Throughout the years they'd spent first as schoolmates and then team mates, it was one of the things that he'd noticed most about her. It had also been—though he would chew his own foot off before he admitted it—one of the things that he'd remembered most about her during those cold, lonely nights he'd spent acquiring power.

"You've been avoiding me." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them and inwardly, he cringed.

Her hands stilled for a second and then she continued her ministrations. "There was no reason to come often. Your wounds are healing nicely and I have other patients."

Illogically, frustration bubbled within him, but from the clipped tone of her voice, Sasuke decided it was best to drop the subject.

Since her head was bent, it was safe for him to study her. She'd changed, of course. Her pink hair was once again long, curling just slightly at the small of her back. The large forehead that had plagued her when she was younger was no longer there, partly hidden by her bangs. Her features had sharpened, her cheeks losing their childish roundness. She was taller, though not as tall as either him or Naruto and her body had ripened into that of a young woman, slim yet curvaceous. In short, she had grown into the beauty her young self had promised to be.

Her looks weren't the only things that had changed, Sasuke knew. He recalled what Naruto had told him. Top medic nin, rivaling Shizune and barely one step down from Tsunade herself. Accomplished Jounin, the strongest kunoichi of their year, unbeatable in genjutsu and perfect chakra control. _ANBU_. That was one of the things that surprised him the most. He'd never thought that she had it in her to be an ANBU member. He could still remember the times he'd seen the hesitance in her eyes when she had to kill an opponent. For her to willingly become an ANBU member . . . how much had she changed?

Not for the first time since he'd returned, he wondered if she hated him. Of all the people he'd thought would be indifferent to his return, Sakura had been at the bottom of his list. But if her current behavior towards him were any indication as to what she felt for him, then it was obvious that she wasn't overly-joyed to see him.

What had he expected, really? For her to jump at him and exclaim her love for him? That had been years ago. But he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he felt a bit hurt by her indifference. Along with Kakashi and Naruto, she'd been the closest thing he'd had to a . . . a family. For her to be so obviously cool towards him . . . it hurt.

"Ne, Sasuke?" she said, her soft voice breaking into his thoughts.

"Hai?"

"Do you feel better?"

"What?" He frowned; he had a feeling she wasn't talking about his wounds.

"Naruto told me. You finally achieved your goal, didn't you?" she murmured. She looked up and flashed him a small smile. "Well? Did it make you feel better?"

"I . . ." He couldn't think of an answer. He wanted to say yes—no, he wanted to scream it. But he couldn't.

Apparently deciding that he was taking too long to reply, Sakura continued, "I hope it did. I hope it made you happy. I hope it was worth it."

He stared at her, at the startling brightness of her emerald eyes. "Sakura . . ."

She finished her ministrations on his wounds and without another word, left the room as quietly as she had entered it.

** To be continued . . . **


	2. Teachers and Students

All right, first of all, I would like to thank everyone for the reviews, especially considering this is my first anime/manga fanfic. Your reviews were wonderful and really encouraging.

In addition, I would like to apologize for the shortness of this chapter. But the third chapter will be much longer.

Thanks again for reading this fic and hope you enjoy this new chapter. And remember, reviews are amazing for the writer's soul

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**Chapter 2**

She was sitting at the table, a lone figure with a unique shade of hair. She stared at the bowl in front of her, the noodles slowly turning soggy, ignoring the concerned looks the restaurant staff was giving her.

She didn't look up when someone pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. She fiddled with her chopsticks, wondering if perhaps she should order a new bowl.

"Not hungry, Sakura?" the man beside her asked. His silver hair glinted beneath the lights of the ramen stall.

"I thought I was," she murmured. "How was the mission?"

"Boring," he replied in that lazy drawl of his. "Though I did get a kick out of watching Neji being chased by a wild boar."

Sakura sputtered at the image he'd painted and she turned an incredulous look on her former sensei. "A wild boar? Neji?"

"Aa." Beneath his mask, he grinned. "It happened on the way back. I think Neji must have gotten too near to its nest."

Laughter bubbled from her lips as she pictured the serious-faced Hyuuga running for his life from a wild boar. Oh, what she wouldn't have given up to see that!

Kakashi watched her as she laughed, pleased with himself. In his opinion, his former pink-haired student rarely laughed these days.

He glanced at her uneaten bowl of ramen before turning to the hovering waiter. "I'll have the shrimp ramen, please," he ordered. "And she's paying."

Sakura abruptly stopped laughing and glared at the silver-haired Jounin. "Cheapskate," she hissed.

"We mere Jounin don't make as much money as you ANBU medics, you know," he pointed out.

"Liar," she said, but there was a genuine smile on her face.

A wistful glint appeared in the silver-haired ninja's exposed eye as he recalled the memories that particular word evoked. He let out a long, heavy sigh. "How I miss the good old days," he said.

Sakura snickered. "Finally feeling your age, huh, old man?" she teased.

"Watch it, kid. I can still kick your butt," he warned good-naturedly.

"Just say when and where, sensei," she returned with a wink, the title slipping off her tongue out of habit.

Instead of continuing their light banter, Kakashi grew serious and his eye held a distant look as he said, "Actually, I was thinking of the days when we were all in Team 7."

The amusement fled from face and Sakura glanced away. No matter how many years she'd known him, she would never get used to her former sensei's abruptly-changing moods. He could be so silly one moment and utterly serious the next. She supposed it was designed to catch people off guard. Kami-sama knew he had used it on her often enough.

"Remember those days, Sakura?" the older man continued, pretending to be oblivious to how the topic bothered his former student. "How I would show up late for every meeting? How Naruto would whine we got the silliest of missions? Team 7." He chuckled. "I think those were one of the best times in my life."

There was no immediate reply and just as Kakashi began to believe that she would remain silent, his companion spoke, her soft, feminine voice quiet and full of hidden emotions.

"You're still late for every meeting, sensei," she pointed out with a smile.

"Aa," he agreed, the corner of his eye crinkling. He turned his head slightly and studied the pink-haired medic-nin. He wondered if she knew how proud he was of her. He wondered if she knew that of his three students, she was the one who earned his respect the most. She didn't have any magnificent bloodline, nor did she hold any demon within her to give immense strength. Yet despite of all that, and the shortcomings she'd had when she was younger, she had triumphed, had faced _her_ demons and, in the words of Naruto, had flipped them the finger. Kakashi was ashamed to admit it, but he had never envisioned her reaching this far. He recalled how he had named her merely adequate and, like so many other people, had underestimated the strength of her character.

She was far from 'merely adequate' now. And oh, how he was proud of her. _You've come so far, Sakura_, he thought wistfully.

Sakura glanced at her silent companion. "What's on your mind, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked softly.

"Well . . ." He paused as the waiter placed a steaming bowl of ramen in from of him and nodded his thanks. "Did you go to the hospital today, Sakura?"

"Of course," she answered. "I _do_ work there, you know."

"Did you go see and him?"

Sakura sighed. "Is that what this is about? Did Naruto put you up to it?"

"I don't need Naruto to say anything to be concerned about you, Sakura."

"There's nothing to be concerned about, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura interjected quickly.

"Sakura." He spoke her name quietly. "What's wrong?"

"_Nothing's_ wrong," she insisted. "Kami-sama, why won't _any_ of you believe that?"

"Maybe because it's not true. Obviously something is wrong and you're doing a bad job at hiding it." Kakashi's tone remained the same and for some reason the calmness of it infuriated her. She stood up so abruptly the chair fell onto ground behind her. She ignored it, choosing instead to glare at her former sensei.

"Fine! You want to know what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong," she hissed. "You, Naruto, Tsunade-shishou—everyone—you're all welcoming him back with open arms, as if nothing happened!"

"You mean Sasuke?"

"Of course I mean Sasuke!" Sakura snapped. "Kami-sama, don't you realize what he's done? He _betrayed _the village. He turned his back on all us and just left. He—"

"He had to avenge his family, Sakura," Kakashi interrupted. He frowned. "You of all people should know that. Should _understand_ that. What's gotten into you? You've always defended him, always had faith in him. It might not have been the right way to do it, but Sasuke _had_ to avenge his family. But he's back now. Isn't that what matters? He's _home_."

Sakura's hands clenched into fists. "It's not that simple. You wouldn't think that if you knew what I know. If you've seen what I've—" she broke off, realizing that she'd said more than she'd meant to.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Sakura?" he asked.

"I . . . nothing," she answered abruptly.

"Sakura—"

"I have to go, Kakashi-sensei." And with a swift series of movement of her hands, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Kakashi sighed. _Ho, now I have to pay for the food_.

**To be continued . . .**


	3. Nightmares, Reunions and Punishments

Hey, sorry for the lateness of the update. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter and I hope to be able to update the next chapter soon, but as most of you know, real life can be quite a hassle :)

Anyway, hope you enjoy this latest chapter and give me your feedbacks (please and thank you).

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**Chapter 3**

_The acrid smell of smoke drifted into her nostrils and before she could stop herself, she inhaled and felt it seep into her lungs, and though she knew it wasn't true, she felt as if it would stay there permanently, forever a part of her being, a reminder of the devastation she'd seen today._

_Several feet behind her, she could hear the other members of her team rummaging through the debris, searching for more survivors. She wanted to scream at them to stop, to tell them that it was useless. _No more_, she thought. _No more

_She looked down at her hands, blackened with soot, the skin scraped raw and covered with dried blood. But hers wasn't the only blood there. She closed her eyes and tried to push away the image of a young girl's large brown eyes, hopeful and so full of trust. _She was only a child_, her soul cried. _A child.

_Shaking her head, she slipped her hand into her pocket and traced her fingers over the kunai she'd slipped in there moments ago. The kunai itself was simple, unremarkable and commonly found in most ninjas' pocket. But she recognized this particular kunai—no, she recognized the faint chakra surrounding the kunai and she felt her heart shatter. _Why? Kami-sama, why?

"_Sakura-sama . . . Sakura-sama . . ."_

"Sakura-sama!"

She woke up with a start and couldn't prevent her hiss of pain as her knee bumped the underside of her desk. "Itai," she murmured, rubbing the throbbing spot. She looked up to see one of the nurses hovering near the doorway of her office.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Sakura-sama," the nurse said apologetically. "But you told me to come and get you when the patient with the poison woke up."

"It's all right," Sakura said, climbing to her feet. She ran a hand through her hair and smiled sheepishly at the nurse. "Silly me, I accidentally fell asleep."

"I don't blame you. You've been pushing too many hours, Sakura-sama," the nurse pointed out, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard and neglect your rest."

"Maa, maa, you're starting to sound like shishou-sama. Now come on, let's see how our patient's doing."

Almost an hour later, she emerged from one of the rooms with a satisfied smile on her face. The poison—which was rarely encountered—had been extracted and her patient was going to be fine. The warmth that invaded her bones made her smile widen. It was times like these that told her that _this_ was what she was meant for, that _this_ was where her true gift lay. There wasn't a day gone by where she didn't thank her lucky stars for Tsunade-sama's apprenticeship. If it hadn't been for the Hokage, she didn't think she would have found the confidence to grow into the person she was now.

She glanced at her watch and smiled ruefully. Her shift had ended ten minutes ago, but of course she hadn't noticed. She stopped abruptly as she walked passed a particular hallway and chewed on her bottom lip hesitantly. Should she . . .?

_Isn't that what matters? That he's _home, Kakashi's words echoed in her head.

_He needs us_. Naruto.

_You've been avoiding me_. Sasuke.

She tucked a stray strand of pink hair behind her ear and sighed. She hadn't seen Sasuke since yesterday and she'd managed to dodge both Kakashi and Naruto. She knew her actions were wrong and even disrespectful, but she couldn't help it. She didn't feel like talking and it seemed like all Naruto and Kakashi wanted to do these past few days.

_He needs us. _

Minutes later, she was pushing open the door to Sasuke's hospital room but stopped abruptly when she saw Tsunade-sama and several members of the village council gathered at the foot of the bed, in which Sasuke was sitting up. They all glanced at her as she opened the door and she bowed her head respectfully.

"Forgive me," she said, "I'll come back later."

She made a move to step back out, but Tsunade stopped her. "No, Sakura, that's all right. You might as well come in, considering we're about to finish. Besides, I didn't manage to make these two leave."

Sakura's gaze followed where Tsunade's finger pointed at and her eyes widened slightly when saw Naruto and Kakashi standing side by side on the other end of the room. Naruto was jumpy, full of impatient energy, while Kakashi was in his customary pose, lazily leaning against the wall, one hand shoved in his pocket while the other held up his precious _Icha-Icha Paradise_ book. Sakura's eyes narrowed as her eyes fell onto that particular book. Throughout the years, she'd tried many times—without success—to destroy her former sensei's perverted novels. _One of these days, I'm going to_ . . .

One of the council members' spoke, breaking into her thoughts. "So, Sasuke, we will see you tomorrow then. We'll try not to keep you waiting."

"Aa," the black-haired young man replied, his face impassive as usual. "Thank you," he added almost grudgingly.

"We'll leave you now," Tsunade said with a nod. She glanced briefly at Sakura and then at Naruto and Kakashi. "I'll trust the two of you will tell her?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied without looking up from his book.

"Damn straight, obaa-san!"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed and if looks could kill, Kakashi would be mourning the loss of his beloved book while a certain blonde shinobi flew head-first out of the window.

Sakura waited until Tsunade and the council members had left the room before turning to look at the three men in the room. Her heart wrenched as she realized that this was the first time in eight years—the first day of Sasuke's return cast aside—that all four members of Team 7, Team Kakashi, were in the same room. _Together_.

Much to her disgust, tears stung the back of her eyes and she turned around to discreetly brush them away. She smiled ruefully to herself. For years, she'd managed to control her emotions—a feat that had been extremely difficult to achieve when she was younger—and she'd vowed to herself to never cry in front of others. But since Sasuke's return, the urge to cry had been numerous and almost overwhelming. _How easy it is for him to make me feel like twelve years old all over again. No matter what I do, no matter how much I train, I'll always feel like a child around him. _

"Sakura," the voice of her former sensei broke into her troubled thoughts. She made sure a pleasant smile was on her face before turning to face the older man.

"Hai?"

"You finished your shift already?" he asked.

"Hai. I planned on having a late dinner, but I thought . . ." She trailed off and glanced at the quiet—_doesn't he _ever_ say anything? _she wondered impatiently—Sasuke, whose chin was propped on his folded hands, much like his usual pose during their younger days, as he stared straight ahead, the ever-infuriatingly distant expression in his dark eyes. She squared her shoulders and returned her gaze to her teacher. "I thought I'd visit Sasuke for a while."

Kakashi smiled while Naruto beamed at her. _How very much like them_, she thought. Obviously, they thought she was coming around since she'd taken the incentive to visit Sasuke. _Of course they'd be happy for _Sasuke_. They'd been worried for _Sasuke_. Did they ever wonder about me? Why I—yamero_, _Sakura_, she told herself, pushing the petty thoughts away.

She cleared her throat and stepped further into the room. Unable to resist, she picked up Sasuke's medical chart and gave it a brief once-over. "You're improving at a fast rate, Sasuke," she told him.

"Aa" was the only answer she received.

"Of course he is, with brilliant medics like obaa-san and you taking care of him, Sakura-chan!" Naruto complimented with a large grin. "But he's still too weak, though. Unlike me, Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage—"

"Do you ever shut up, you idiot?" Sasuke interrupted.

"Oi, who are you calling an idiot?" Naruto sputtered.

"_You_, idiot. You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"I have grown stronger and I'll prove it by kicking your ugly ass!"

"Maa-maa," Sakura interjected, stepping in between. "Naruto, lower your voice, this is a hospital."

"Gomen, Sakura-chan," he apologized, but the grin on his face told her that he wasn't at all repentant.

"Baka," Sasuke muttered under his breath, but of course Naruto heard him.

"What did you say, chicken head?" the blonde-haired ninja demanded.

"Naruto, lower you voice!"

"Yare, yare," Kakashi said, lowering his book and peering at the three of them over it. "Eight years down the road and the three of you are still bickering like a bunch of snot-nosed kids."

The three young shinobi abruptly fell quiet and Kakashi knew he'd made a mistake with his remark when they refused to meet each other's eyes. It was true. For a moment, they _had_ forgotten that they hadn't grown apart, that everything wasn't as it actually was between them. Kakashi sighed. _Such proud people, unwilling to bend for anyone, _he thought. _It doesn't make my life easier_, _but I wouldn't have them any other way_.

Sakura cleared her throat again as she attempted to dispel the awkward silence. "Uh . . . what were Tsunade-sama and the council members doing here?"

She didn't miss the brief look Naruto exchanged with Sasuke before the blonde replied, "They were discussing Sasuke's punishment."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Sasuke sighed softly. "I was declared a missing-nin, remember?" he said bluntly. "Since I left the village to join the enemy, I have to be punished."

"_Oh_. But . . ."

Kakashi spoke. "Considering Sasuke's . . . circumstances, his punishment will probably be different from the norm. And since he didn't _actually_ fight against Konoha during the course of his stay in Oto . . . he'll probably avoid execution."

Sakura's heart skipped several beats. The idea of Sasuke's death . . .

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, walking up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "They won't kill him."

"Naruto!" she hissed.

"What? It's true. They won't kill him. They can't. We won't let them," Naruto declared with a conviction that she knew carried its weight in gold.

She tucked a stray strand of pink hair behind her ear. "When—when will we know what the punishment is?" she asked.

"Tsunade-sama and the council will have a meeting today and they'll come and see Sasuke tomorrow to let him know their decision," Kakashi told her.

"Yeah, since Sasuke's bedridden, they have to come to him instead of the other way around." Naruto snickered. "Weakling."

"Shut up, retard."

"What did you say, asshole?"

"Maa." Kakashi closed his book with a soft thud and slipped it into his pocket. "The council will probably have other things to discuss with Sasuke aside from his punishment."

Sakura frowned. "What do you mean, Sensei?"

It was Sasuke who answered and she turned to look at him. "I'm not sure if you already know this, but I actually left Oto almost three years ago to search for my . . ."

"To search for Itachi," she finished for him and didn't catch the slight flicker in his dark eyes.

"Aa." Sasuke shot her a brief glance before turning his gaze to the window. "Anyway, before I left Oto, Orochimaru was in the process of taking over my body. He wanted the Sharingan, you see. He still wants it. And since I'm the last Uchiha . . ."

Sakura swallowed. "You didn't—he was alive when you left Oto?"

"Aa."

Naruto interjected quietly, "Orochimaru wants the Sharingan. He _needs_ it. He'll probably stop at nothing to get it."

Sakura lifted a slightly trembling hand to her neck, understanding the implication behind her friend's words. She closed her eyes_. Fire . . . destruction . . . blood . . . death . . . round, childish eyes staring into hers innocently, full of pain and hope_ . . .

She lifted her lids and stared at Sasuke, at the indifference on his handsome visage, and fury bubbled within her. How could he just sit there, as cold as ever, knowing that he would perhaps cause further pain for the village? Didn't he care _at all_?

"So, Sasuke," she said, her voice trembling from anger, "not only did you betray your village, you're going to bring a war upon it as well."

"Sakura!" Naruto gasped, shocked.

"That's going too far, Sakura," Kakashi said angrily.

Sakura ignored them, keeping her eyes focused on Sasuke. "Look at me, damn it! For Kami-sama's sake, show me that you're something _more_ than a block of ice, that you have _some_ life inside you. That you can at least _feel!_"

Sasuke's head whipped around to look at her and for some reason, she took a step back. His dark gaze bore into hers and strangely, her heart raced. The eyes that peered into hers were anything _but_ cold. They were full of despair and something else she wasn't sure of. It was as if he were asking her to . . . to . . .

_Save me_.

Sakura opened her mouth, but her throat was dry. Once again, she felt tears prick the back of her eyes and she didn't bother to brush them away. "Sasuke, I . . ."

"Sakura-sama, there's an emergency!"

* * *

_She was sixteen when it first happened. She supposed she'd been lucky, these past four years. Tsunade-sama told her that most medics experienced it during the first two years of their profession. She was lucky. _

_But she didn't feel lucky._

_She stood outside the hospital, in the middle of the pathway, and stared up at the darkening sky. It was autumn and the nights were getting colder, but she didn't feel the chill. She didn't feel anything. She doubted anything could break the numbness that had solidly planted itself within her body._

"_Sakura? Sakura, what are you still doing here?"_

_She turned around slowly and watched with dull eyes as the statuesque blonde walk towards her. "Shishou-sama . . ."_

"_Sakura, it's freezing. Why are you standing outside without a . . ." Tsunade's words trailed off as she reached the young woman and her eyes softened slightly as she took in her student's pale features. "Oh, Sakura, have you been standing here ever since . . .?"_

_When Sakura didn't answer, the older woman let out a long, heavy sigh. "Oh, Sakura, you have to get past this. It happens to every medic—even me. He was too far gone to be saved. There was nothing you—or anyone else—could have done to save him."_

"_I . . . I want to believe that, shishou-sama, I really do, but I . . . I can't. I keep thinking that if I'd responded to the emergency call faster, if I'd been more firm in my decisions, if I'd been _better_, than he wouldn't have . . . he wouldn't have . . ."_

_Tsunade made an impatient noise. "Don't be so arrogant, Sakura!" she snapped. _

_Sakura's eyes rounded. "Shishou—"_

"_Do you think you're a god? Is that it, Sakura? Do you think that because you're a good medic and you have excellent chakra control you're omnipotent?"_

"_I . . ."_

"_Listen to me, Sakura, and listen to me well," Tsunade continued. "We're shinobi. Death is a part of our lives—we'll never escape that. No matter how hard we run, death will always follow. But what differentiates the great shinobi from the simple ones is the ability to move forward. To live in the moment and anticipate the future. To never forget the past but to not linger in it as well. Do you understand me, Sakura?"_

"_Shishou-sama . . ."_

"_There was nothing you could have done to save that ninja. It was his time to go. Don't insult his sacrifice for the village by crying useless tears. It's a waste of your time—and mine."_

"Time of death: 8:25 p.m., cause of death: a . . ."

Sakura barely heard the nurse's voice as she walked out of the room, feeling the familiar chill sink into her bones. The scene from four years ago replayed in her mind and she recalled Tsunade's words. Death was a part of them, a large part of their lives. As a shinobi, she should know this—accept this.

She ran her fingers through her hair. _If only I'd made a more thorough scan_, she thought. _If only I'd seen that speck of poison inside his system. If only_ . . .

"That's enough, Sakura."

She looked up, startled, and her eyes widened when she saw the figure standing a few feet away from her. "Sasuke . . ."

**To be continued . . .**

Yes, by now it should be obvious that I love cliffhangers.


	4. Changed, yet Still the Same

Yo. Sorry for the late update, but college life can be pretty hectic. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. They really made my day and spurred me on to write faster and better.

Okay, before you all start reading the new chapter, I'd like to showcase a few things:

1. Naruto switches back and forth in calling Sakura "Sakura-chan." Because he's twenty and now sees Sakura as a cherished friend, I don't see him calling her that constantly. It's more like a force of habit, like how Sakura refers to Kakashi as "sensei." Naruto and Sasuke both calls Kakashi by his given name, but Sakura maintains the title out of habit, even though he hasn't officially been her teacher in years.

2. According to the dictionary, the words "ninja" and "nin" are both singular and plural. So don't feel weird when I write things like "four ninja" or "two Jounin" The dictionary says it's okay :)

3. Some of you were a bit confused from the last chapter, so I hope this chapter can give you a clearer picture as to what happened after Sakura's emergency call.

4. For the first few chapters of this story, I won't be having much dialogue because I prefer to go into the details of the story beforehand. But rest assured, I'll have much more dialogues as the story progresses.

5. I usually post my chapters before I double check them so there are bound to be several typos and missing words, so if you guys see them, be sure to let me know. It always helps to have another pair of eyes.

Um, that's all for now. Enjoy this latest chapter and I hope you all will take the time to give me your opinions, because believe it or not, they really help. Thanks. Have a nice day!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Sasuke . . ."

He stared at her, at the way her eyes widened and wondered whether she realized she'd spoken her self-incrimination out loud. He wondered, too, why _he_ had been the one to speak, when it was obvious either Naruto or Kakashi—who stood several feet behind him—could have done so. But the look on her face . . . it was a reminiscent of their younger days, when she—as well as almost everybody else—had believed herself to be weak and useless. And for some reason, that irritated Sasuke and he had been unable to stop the words from slipping past his lips.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, licking her dry lips. "Sasuke, what are you—"

He cut her off, unable to answer the question he himself had been asking. "You're blaming yourself, aren't you?" he said quietly. "Why?"

"I . . ."

Kakashi stepped forward and startled Sakura. She hadn't been aware of his presence, nor of the blonde-haired shinobi standing behind him. It was a testament to her current state of mind for her to be unaware of her surroundings. "Sensei . . ."

"Sakura." His voice was gentle, void of the anger she'd heard earlier. "Will you tell me what happened?"

"I . . ." She lifted her hands helplessly. "He's—he _was_—a patient of mine. I've been treating him for poison for two days. I-I thought I removed it completely, demo . . . there was a bit left inside his system . . . it was so small . . ."

"Ah, Sakura-chan," Naruto said softly.

She choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself tightly. "I was so proud of myself. The poison was rare. I thought . . . if I'd focused more, if I hadn't been so confident . . ." She began to shake. "I told him he was okay, that he could leave tomorrow. He was so happy. His daughter's birthday is in three days . . . I should have . . . I should have . . . demo . . ."

It broke Naruto's heart to see one of his best friends in such a way. He brushed past Sasuke and Kakashi and wrapped his arms around her smaller figure. "Yamero, Sakura. I'm sure you did all you could."

She lifted tear-filled eyes to his face. "He was so happy to be able to make it for his daughter's birthday. I promised him he'll be holding her in no time. I promised," she whispered in a voice so achingly dejected, even the so-called block of ice Sasuke was affected. The corners of her lips lifted ruefully. "I . . . I'm a bad person, Naruto. I'm just awful, aren't I?"

"Yamero, Sakura," he repeated firmly, his arms tightening around her.

She clutched the front of his shirt in her fists. "I'm aw—" Suddenly, her pupils dilated and before she knew it, she felt the floor beneath her give away.

"Sakura!"

And the last thing she saw before her world faded to black was the sight of Sasuke's face, his expression strangely heart-wrenching.

* * *

"_Listen to me, Sakura," Tsunade told her. "One of the things a medic-nin must never do is promise a patient he'll survive whatever illness he's suffering from."_

_Sakura frowned. "Demo, shishou-sama, isn't that our duty? To give them hope?"_

_The blonde-haired Hokage sighed. "That's the ideal, Sakura, but life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to be. Our real duty is to promise to heal him as best as we can, but we can't make promises. Unless his illness or wound is a minor one, like a simple cut, we can't make promises. Because if something happens, we'd feel responsible."_

"_But we should encourage him, ne?"_

"_You're so young, Sakura," Tsunade said with a fond smile. "But you have to understand that if humans can fulfill _all_ their promises, then we wouldn't need God."_

_Sakura smiled slightly. "I supposed you're right."_

"_Of course I am. I'm the Hokage, aren't I?" the older woman boasted with a foxy laugh. "Now recite to me the common causes of pneumonia. We went through it yesterday, correct?"_

"_Hai, Hokage-sama. The causes are . . ."_

"Sakura."

She slowly lifted her eyelids, which felt as if they were weighted down by anvils. It took her moment to adjust her vision and when the blur finally receded, she looked up to see the youthful face of her mentor. Tsunade stared back at the younger woman, her expression that of concern and something else—anger.

"Shishou-sama," Sakura croaked. She was aware that she was lying on a hospital bed, with the soft humming of a monitor echoing around the room.

"You used that jutsu again, didn't you, you stubborn girl?" the blonde-haired beauty asked.

Sakura swallowed, attempting to summon more moisture to wet what seemed like the desert in her throat. "Gomen, shishou . . ."

"Oi, obaa-san, what jutsu?"

Sakura turned and almost cried out from the shot of pain that sliced through her head by the movement. For a second, the world spun and when she was at last able to focus, she found Naruto standing on the other side of her, his bright blue eyes filled with worry.

"A healing jutsu," Tsunade replied crisply, twitching slightly by the way the blonde-haired brat had addressed her. "A very strong one that shouldn't be done regularly, especially if the healer has been working a twelve-hour shift." At the last bit, she turned to frown at the pink-haired medic-nin. "Your chakra was almost completely drained, Sakura."

"Gomen, shishou," she repeated.

Tsunade sighed and straightened. "You're too pathetic right now for me to lecture you. I'll save it for our next meeting."

Sakura bit back her tears, angry at herself for such a weakness. She knew she deserved her mentor's irritation. Tsunade had warned her again and again to watch her chakra level and to not take unnecessary risks.

"Is she going to be okay, Hokage-sama?" It was Kakashi who asked the question. He was standing at the end of the bed, his exposed eye taking in the extreme paleness of his former student's skin.

"She'll be fine as long as she gets some rest," Tsunade declared. "I'm taking you off your duties for a couple of days, Sakura."

"But, shishou-sama—"

"Sakura," Tsunade interrupted in a voice that brooked no objection and Sakura, having been familiarized with the tone during the early days of her training, fell back to her pillow with a resigned sigh.

She suddenly gasped as she felt the burn in her fingertips. The air escaped her lungs and she gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out from the pain.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Naruto yelled, panicked. Even Kakashi started forward.

Tsunade, however, was unfazed. She left Sakura's side only to return seconds later with a bowl of hot water. "Dunk them in, Sakura," she ordered and the pink-haired young woman obediently lifted her hands and dipped them into the steaming liquid, allowing a soft moan to escape her throat as the ache slowly subsided.

"Sometimes," Tsunade told Naruto and Kakashi, "when too much chakra has been concentrated in a particular area for too long, it causes the area to become numb. It's a thing most medics experience and it's not a particularly happy situation, especially when the body attempts to return feeling to the area. It feels like pouring sake onto an exposed wound."

"You would know, wouldn't you, obaa-san?" Naruto teased.

"Why, you little—"

He rudely cut her off and turned to one of his best friends. "Na, Sakura-chan, is it getting better?"

She smiled weakly. "Hai, Naruto. Heat helps."

"You wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't been so stubborn," Tsunade pointed out.

Naruto glared at her. "Oi, obaa-san, don't be so harsh on her, especially after what happened—"

"Be quiet, Naruto," Kakashi said firmly.

Tsunade pursed her lips thoughtfully as she looked at Sakura. "I checked the reports, Sakura. There was nothing you could have done—the poison had spread too quickly. You know that, don't you?"

Sakura licked her lips. "H-hai, shishou," she replied softly.

Tsunade stared at for a moment before she let out another sigh. "Get some rest, Sakura. I'm keeping you here over-night," she said. "And you guys—" she turned to the other occupants in the room "—get out. Sakura needs to sleep and she won't be able to do that with all of you running around. And you, Uchiha, what the hell were you thinking getting up? You're going to tear my stitches."

Sakura's eyes widened and for the first time since she woke up, she noticed the black-haired figure standing by the window, his arms crossed as he leaned nonchalantly against the wall.

He shrugged, completely undaunted by the force of the Hokage's scowl. "I'm fine," he replied quietly.

Naruto snorted. "Feh, there you go again, trying to act all cool. Come on, I'll carry you back to your room."

"Don't touch me, dobe."

"What did you say, teme?" Naruto shouted and received a corresponding thump on the head by the Hokage.

"You brat, this is a hospital. Stop yelling!"

"Oi, obaa-san, you're yelling, too."

"You little brat, I'm going to—"

"Maa, maa," Kakashi calmed. "All this tension isn't good for Sakura's health."

Tsunade took a deep breath as she counted to ten, but the blaze in her eyes was still apparent as she glowered at the blonde-haired young man. _One of these days,_ she thought, _I'm going to have roasted fox for dinner, just see if I don't_.

Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Gomen, Sakura-chan," he said to the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Damn brat," Tsunade muttered. "You should be apologizing to _me_."

Sakura stared at Sasuke. Somehow the sight of him there was more painful than what she'd gone through in the emergency room. She didn't like that she'd appeared so vulnerable in front of him. _So weak_.

"Out, all of you," Tsunade ordered again.

Kakashi walked from his position at the end of the bed to Sakura's side. He patted her head, a familiar action from their days as a team. "Na, we'll see you tomorrow, Sakura."

She smiled at him and then was surprised when Naruto leaned forward and lightly kissed her cheek. "Make sure you get lots of rest, Sakura-chan. We wouldn't anything to happen to you, ne?"

Her smile wobbled. "You guys . . ."

Sasuke was already making his way to the door, Kakashi walking next to him in the event that he should fall from his recovering wounds. She swallowed hard and called out his name.

He looked at her over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows slightly. "What is it?"

She cleared her throat, clenching and unclenching her fingers inside the cooling water. "I . . . what I said earlier . . . I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it."

He stared back at her for a long while, his face impassive, but there was a glint in his dark eyes. Finally, his lips curved into his patented smirk. "Hn," he said. "Get some rest, Sakura."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Hai."

"Sakura."

She looked up. "Hai?"

He was clearly uncomfortable and she wondered what he wanted. Did he want to berate her for her harsh words earlier? If so, she wouldn't mind. She probably deserved it.

"You . . ."

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"You—you've become strong."

The words, despite the cool way they were delivered, were genuine and despite everything she felt about him, despite everything she knew about him, she felt as if something within her bloomed. She looked at the other people surrounding her, at the gentle smiles on both Tsunade and Kakashi's faces, at the way Naruto beamed, and returned her gaze to Sasuke. "Arigatou, Sasuke."

He shrugged. "Hn," he said again and then walked out of the door.

"Heh, the teme's embarrassed," Naruto laughed as he followed his friend and former sensei out of the room, giving Sakura one last wave.

Sakura smiled as she waved back, wondering at the emotion that filled her. Tsunade touched her arm, claiming her attention.

"Things have changed, haven't they, Sakura?" the youthful-looking Hokage said softly.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," she answered in an equally soft tone. "Yes, they have."

* * *

The decision for Sasuke's punishment wasn't announced as quickly as they wanted it to be. By midday, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were already gathered inside Sasuke's hospital room, waiting for the Hokage and the council members to appear. Naruto was all but bouncing off the walls, while Sakura sat in one of the chairs, twiddling her fingers. Even Kakashi was unable to concentrate on his book and for the silver-haired Jounin, that said a lot. Only Sasuke, who should have worried the most, was calm, sitting up in his bed with his hands clasped in front of him. 

"Where the hell are they?" Naruto demanded impatiently for the fiftieth time since he arrived this morning.

"Maybe they're deciding which one is better—the needle or the axe," Kakashi replied drolly.

"That's not funny, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura admonished, but was stopped from scolding him further when she heard a very unfamiliar sound coming from the black-haired shinobi sitting on the bed.

Naruto's eyes were as round as an owl's. "O-oi, teme! Did you just—did you just . . . just . . .?"

"Laugh?" both him and Sakura asked in unison.

"I was amused," he replied quietly. "And I didn't laugh—I made a sound of amusement."

"That's the same thing, you arrogant know-it-all," Naruto yelled.

"If you like think so, then go ahead."

"You stupid—"

Sakura abruptly stood, breaking off Naruto's insult. "I'm going to get something to drink. Does anyone need anything?"

They declined her offer and she left the room, breathing a sigh of relief as she escaped the tension surrounding it. She was still a bit dizzy from yesterday, though she could feel her chakra level returning to normal.

She didn't try to question her nervousness. Yes, a part of her resented Sasuke for the things he'd done, but despite all that, she couldn't shake off the fact that for a long period of her life, she'd been infatuated with the black-haired shinobi. Her "love" aside, she had valued their relationship, no matter how strained it had been. He'd been her teammate, her friend, her . . . family. They'd been on many missions together and nothing could break the bond they'd shared during those times when they'd watched each other's backs. She couldn't ignore her current bitterness toward him, but she didn't want him to die, either.

_You're as confused as ever_, her inner voice told her with a derisive laugh.

_Shut up. I'm female. It's a female's prerogative_.

_If you say so._

_I do say so. Now be quiet._

She returned a few minutes later and was surprised to find a familiar, dark-haired figure making his way toward Sasuke's room from the other end of the hallway.

"Neji-san!" she exclaimed with a fond smile. Over the years, they'd become friends, having been sent on several missions together. She hadn't seen him for a while, as they had both been busy with their respective work. "I heard you were back."

He smiled and bowed slightly. "Hai. I came back several days ago."

"And how was the mission?" she asked, even though she knew the answer from Kakashi.

"Successful, of course," he replied and she had to laugh at the arrogance in his tone. He didn't mind, his smile broadening a bit.

"Are you okay? Physically, I mean," the medic within her asked.

"Yes, of course."

"I bet it'll be a while before you're ready to eat boar's meat, huh?" she couldn't help but teased.

The tips of his ears reddened slightly, but Neji, ever a good sport, retorted, "On the contrary, it was the first thing I ate when I came back home."

She laughed again. Very few were aware of it—possibly because he was usually so quiet and reserved—but Hyuuga Neji had a wicked sense of humor and bantering with him was always stimulating for the mind. She'd once been on a mission with both him and Nara Shikamaru and she'd had a riot of a time during their nights camping in the forest.

Despite himself, Neji laughed along. There were very few people who could match his wit and over the years, he'd realized the pink-haired ANBU-medic was one of them.

Sakura stopped laughing as a thought occurred to her. "Na, Neji, if you're not injured, then what are you doing here?"

"I asked him to come," came the answer from behind her and Sakura turned around to see Tsunade walking toward them, several council members following close on her heels.

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama, council members." Both Sakura and Neji bowed respectfully.

They returned the greeting, Tsunade carefully studying Sakura's face. "Are you feeling better, Sakura?"

"Hai, shishou-sama. I had a very good sleep."

"Good. Council members, Neji, would you all please go inside first? I need to have a private word with Sakura for a moment."

They adhered to her request and when they had all disappeared into Sasuke's room, Tsunade drew closer to her student. Before the rather perplexed Sakura could say a word, the Hokage placed both of her hands on the younger woman's chest.

Sakura felt the familiar sizzle of another's chakra mingling with hers and her brows knitted as Tsunade stepped back, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Good. Your chakra level is high enough."

"High enough for what, shishou?" Sakura asked curiously.

The Hokage smiled. "Sakura, I'm going to need you to do something for me in just a while."

* * *

The room was quiet, which was unnatural considering Naruto was in it. He stood next to Kakashi in one side of the room and had been warned by Tsunade that she wouldn't hesitate to use her considerable strength if he interfered with the informal trial. Kakashi, who was prepared to use his chakra strings on Naruto on the Hokage's order, leaned back against the wall, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. 

Sakura stood next to Neji, whose presence had been questioned and unexplained—much to a certain loud-mouthed blonde's displeasure. With her hands clasped behind her back, she surreptitiously surveyed the other people inside the room. Tsunade and four council members stood beside Sasuke's bed, but it was the presence of the four masked ninja that caught her attention. Two of them stood on each side of the doorway while two others stood by the window. More, she knew, was surrounding the perimeter. She'd known, of course, that the Hokage had posted ANBU-nins to guard Sasuke ever since his return, but until today, she'd never seen them. What was odd was the fact that they hadn't gone after him when he left the room yesterday.

She quickly counted the number of people in the room and thought wryly at how convenient it had been to give Sasuke one of the larger rooms in the hospital.

One of the advisors stepped forward, catching her attention. He was an old man, his tanned skin wrinkled and paper-thin. Sakura had seen him several times, knew him to be the leading Konoha advisor.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he spoke, his voice raspy from age. "Eight years ago, you left Konohagakure to side with the enemy, Orochimaru, to gain power for a personal vendetta. You were officially declared a missing-nin five years ago and have resisted Konoha shinobi's arrests numerous times. These are serious crimes. How do you plead?"

"Guilty." The answer was given swiftly and without a hint of emotion. Sakura wondered how he could be so detached even under the current pressure.

The advisor nodded, as if he had expected such an answer. "Very well. Hokage?"

Tsunade cleared her throat. "Uchiha Sasuke," she said in a serious tone, "are you aware of the common punishment received by those who have committed such crimes?"

"Yes," the sole remaining Uchiha answered. "Imprisonment or, if the crimes prove to be more dire, execution."

Naruto made a sound and Sakura knew that if either sentence were to be given to Sasuke, the blonde-haired shinobi would not hesitate to help his friend escape. It was typical Naruto behavior, she reflected. Naruto, who perhaps had more cause than anyone else to despise Sasuke for his actions, had not only accepted Sasuke's return with open arms, but was willing to move on from the pain his absence had caused. That was how loyal he was, how noble. _And once again, he has proven to me how he's a much better person than I am_.

"Sasuke," Tsunade continued, "we are all aware of your history, of the reason you left Konoha. Though we don't approve of your method, we understand it. Because of this, the advisors and I have decided to lighten your punishment."

There were audible sighs from both Naruto and Kakashi and if Sakura hadn't been carefully watching Sasuke's face, she wouldn't have noticed the grateful expression that filled his dark eyes. It surprised her, somewhat, as she had thought that he hadn't cared either which way. It wasn't much, but it relieved her that he had wanted to another chance. _At least he feels sorry, even though he does a damn good job at hiding it_.

"From today onwards, Sasuke," Tsunade told him, "you will be under probation for two years and under the surveillance of ANBU soldiers for one. You will not be allowed to leave the village for a year and after that year ends, whenever you _do_ leave, you will continue to report to your probation officers. And until you've achieved Jounin rank, you will be subjected to D-rank missions only."

Sasuke forced himself to nod. The idea, of course, was humiliating. A shinobi of his caliber reduced to D-rank missions. He could remember very well they were and he inwardly cringed at the image of him climbing trees to rescue cats.

He glanced around the room, nearly unable to stop himself from squirming uncomfortably. It irked him to be surrounded by all these people while he sat on his bed. Such vulnerably galled him and he had a feeling that the shrewd Hokage knew it.

"Furthermore," said woman carried on, "you will have to perform community service for the rest of the year and—" she leveled a look at the Uchiha heir "—you will perform them diligently and without complaint.

"As for your shinobi position, after careful deliberation, the advisors and I have decided that your chakra level will be reduced to half until the end of your probation. Do you understand what I mean, Sasuke?"

"Hai," he answered through gritted teeth. They were going to take away his chakra? After all the training he'd done, after all the things he'd gone through?

As if he'd said those words out-loud, Tsunade said, "You must accept this decision, Sasuke, and realize that you're getting off rather lightly considering your crimes. Hyuuga Neji will perform the act of minimizing your chakra flow."

So that was the reason for the Hyuuga's presence. Sasuke had wondered at that; he hadn't seen the dark-haired prodigy since their Chuunin exam days and was curious as to how far the other man had progressed.

Tsunade spoke again, drawing his attention back to her. "You should know, Sasuke, that the first thing I did when you walked past the village gate was to check your body for the cursed seal Orochimaru gave you all those years ago. Had I detected it, I would not have hesitated to kill you there and then, personal feelings aside." She paused and then softly asked, "When did he remove it?"

"Four years ago."

"Why?"

Sasuke saw no reason to lie. "I achieved the Mangekyou Sharingan, which could not balance well with the cursed seal. He—Orochimaru—had no choice but to remove it." He remembered well the pain that had coursed through his body every time he attempted to activate the particular bloodline limit before the seal was removed and the supplementary pain he'd felt during the twelve-hour process of removing the cursed seal. It was an experience he wouldn't wish to go through again.

There was a long, heavy silence after his announcement as the others grasped the information.

"You achieved the Mangekyou?" Tsunade asked, blinking.

"Yes. I wouldn't have survived my—my fight if I hadn't."

"Very well." Tsunade nodded. "I will check on that later, but for now, there's something else I want to tell you. When I inspected your system, I found the faintest remainder of the cursed seal, but thankfully it's not as dangerous as I expected it to be. It can be counteracted by another seal to prevent the risk of spreading, much like the one Kakashi gave you during the Chuunin exams, only stronger. The seal will also be infused with a detection chakra."

Sasuke frowned. "Detection chakra?"

"Yes. Another person's chakra so that should you ever decide to be stupid enough to escape your sentence and violate your probation, the owner of the chakra can effortlessly detect you or, should I make the decision, terminate you even without your knowledge."

Sasuke couldn't prevent himself from jerking forward. To put his life in another person's hands, to be forced to trust . . .

"O-oi, obaa-san!" Naruto protested.

"Be quiet, Naruto!" Tsunade ordered seriously. Her gaze didn't waver from Sasuke's. "Do you accept this, Sasuke? I trust you understand the alternative if you don't."

Sasuke stared at her for long moments. He understood the implication behind the Hokage's words: either put his life in another person's hands or have no life at all. For a split second, he wavered between the two choices. He couldn't imagine living with the thought that at any second, he could easily be killed without being able to fight back. Such helplessness was daunting and unfathomable.

He looked around the room, at the impassive faces of the advisors and Hyuuga Neji, at Kakashi whom he could see was silently imploring him to make the right decision, at Naruto who had to be restrained by their former sensei and then finally at Sakura. Her large green eyes stared back at him and something within him stirred. _I want to live. I _want_ to _live.

He returned his gaze to the Hokage and slowly, but firmly, his nodded. "I accept."

"Wise choice, you stubborn brat," she whispered and then loudly declared, "After weighing it carefully, I have chosen the person I think best to carry out the seal. Haruno Sakura, please step forward."

Sasuke started. He had thought that it would be either Tsunade herself or Kakashi even. His head whipped around toward her direction and for the first few times of his life, he was unable to control his features.

Sakura felt the force of his stare and almost wavered under its intensity. She'd been waiting for this, had listened only half-heartedly as Tsunade listed out Sasuke's punishment. Her heart raced and behind her back, her hands shook. Until minutes ago, she hadn't been aware of Tsunade's decision, had not thought that _she_ would be responsible for Sasuke's life, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she allowed someone else to carry the burden. She still wondered if Tsunade had chosen the right person, but regardless of her personal feelings, she would carry it out as ordered.

"Sakura . . ." Naruto said.

"Daijoubu, Naruto," she told him gently as she started to move from her position next to Neji.

"Wait," Sasuke said.

The tension that filled the air then could have cut through steal as everyone watched Sasuke address the Hokage.

"Last night, she lost a large amount of chakra," he reminded the blonde-haired woman. "Will performing the jutsu cause her a relapse?"

For a second, fury swirled within Sakura. Was he questioning her ability—again? The anger, however, ebbed when she realized that he didn't doubt her and her heart skipped a beat. As unbelievable as it was, Sasuke was actually _worried_ about her. Years ago, her inner self would have squealed, but now—heck, now she wasn't sure _what _she felt.

The corners of Tsunade's lips lifted. "Don't worry. I inspected her before I came in. I even gave her some of my chakra just to be safe. She'll be fine." She turned to look at her student. "Sakura?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." The pink-haired young woman moved to stand on the other side of Sasuke's bed, taking deep even breaths to soothe her nerves.

"Do you remember the jutsu, Sakura?" Tsunade asked for the benefit of the others.

"Perfectly." Only Tsunade was aware of it, but years ago she'd done an extensive research of cursed seals, innocent in the belief that one day she would be able to perform another seal to counteract the one the bastard Orochimaru had placed on Sasuke.

That day, apparently, had arrived.

"Everyone else, give them some space," Tsunade ordered and she and the advisors stepped back.

"Sasuke, please lower your shirt," Sakura instructed softly.

He tugged on his sleeve, revealing his shoulder. There, on the spot that connected his neck with his shoulder, was the mark Sakura distinctly remembered. But now the black color was gone and the three swirls that strangely resembled the Sharingan wheels were a shade darker than Sasuke's lightly tanned flesh. Without thinking, she touched the mark, but quickly pulled away when Sasuke gave a jerk.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Does it hurt?"

"Of course not," he answered. There was no way in hell that he was going to disclose how her soft touch had affected his body.

She smiled slightly. "Then what I'm going to do probably will. I'll try to minimize the pain."

"Just get on with it." Then, realizing how rude he sounded, added as an afterthought, "Please."

She nodded and brought her hands forwards. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath and felt her chakra flow through her veins. Her lips moved in a torrent of words she'd spent years memorizing.

Suddenly, a large circle began to form on the floor around the two of them, letters from days gone by, created by the most powerful of shinobi. Instead of the blue they had been when Kakashi had performed a similar seal, they glowed a fiery red and even Naruto could feel the power emanating from them. Her fingers moving rapidly in a series of hand seals, Sakura continued to chant the ancient words and across the room, Neji touched the band wrapped around his forehead. The words were familiar, but unlike those that had been whispered when he had received the seal.

"Now!" Sakura shouted and one of her hands shot forward to cover the faded mark on Sasuke's shoulder. The shock from the pain jolted his body and a cry was wrenched from deep within the pit of his belly. He had known, of course, that the process would be excruciating, even without her warning. His teeth clamped on his bottom lip, so hard he could taste the metallic tang of his own blood. His hands fisted around the bed sheet and he screwed his eyes shut, aware that his Sharingan had been activated from his body's natural instinct to defend himself.

Then all of a sudden, the pain faded and he was acutely aware of her chakra within his body. The feeling was peculiar, despite the fact that all nin, at one time or another, experienced similar situations. It was almost frightening as his mind became aware of how personal it was, as if she had invaded the deepest core of his soul. It was unlike any other feeling he'd ever known and it was a daunting experience.

For Sakura, she felt as if she were floating. Her mind was closed off to any other entity except Sasuke and the ancient words that slipped past her lips. She could feel her chakra—a larger amount that she had ever used before—flowing into his body and mingling with his. In her mind, she could see the fusion, a swirl of bright liquid—and it was beautiful. The feeling was curiously intimate—as if they became a single unit.

Neither was aware of those watching them or how much time had passed. The world was only the two them, merging into one. After a while, Sasuke was aware of the voice within his head, softly at first and then louder. It was Sakura's, soft and gentle, speaking a language he could not even begin to comprehend but was aware of the enormity of it. Words of the old, of times they had never seen, but only heard about in bed time stories.

Oddly, he heard other words as well.

"_Sasuke-kun, will you go on a date with me?"_

"_Daijoubu, Sasuke-kun?"_

"_You're so cool, Sasuke-kun!"_

"_Sasuke-kun, I love you!"_

Sasuke's eyes, now back to their normal onyx shade, sprang open at the same moment Sakura's did. Their gazes locked and both could feel the seal reaching its peak. And then, for a moment, the two of them became obscured from the others' eyes as a red wall, almost like a blazing curtain, surrounded them. Sakura whispered the last verse of the chant and her fingers tightened on his flesh. Both cried out as she completed the seal and the wall that had surrounded them slowly disappeared.

Time seemed to move slowly for Sakura and she felt her legs crumble. She could feel herself falling backwards and she closed her eyes in resignation, unable to save herself.

_Snatch!_

Long, masculine fingers clasped around her wrist in a firm grip and her eyes flickered open to see black eyes staring back at with startling concentration. Against her will, her lips curved into a soft smile. "Sasuke-kun . . ."

Her body again went limp and then she felt strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her in an almost fatherly embrace. She knew those arms, their hold a familiar feeling from her days in Team 7. "Kakashi-sensei . . ."

"Are you okay, Sakura?"

"Sakura-chan!" she heard Naruto exclaimed as if from a distant. He had managed to escape the restrain Kakashi had placed around his body when he had attempted to interfere for the second time, unable to see his friends in what he thought was pain. "Tsunade-sama, Sakura . . .!"

It was a testament to how worried Naruto was that he'd called the Hokage by her proper title.

"Be quiet, you brat, she's just feeling the effects of the jutsu."

Kakashi carried his former student to a nearby chair and gently sat her down. He hunkered down in front of her and tenderly smoothed back the pink tendrils from her slightly damp forehead. "Sakura?"

Her heart beating in a rapid tattoo, Sakura greedily inhaled oxygen into her lungs. "I'm . . . I'm okay . . . Kakashi-sensei," she gasped, her eyes still closed.

Tsunade stepped forward to inspect Sasuke's shoulder. The young man was trembling and she moved so that she could block him from the others' view, knowing that the display of vulnerability would bother him. She ran her fingers over the newly formed seal; there was now a small circle surrounding the teardrop-like swirls, a replica of the much larger one that had been on the floor moments ago. She placed her hands on his chest and after a moment, pulled back and smiled with satisfaction.

"You did good, Sakura," she declared, turning her attention to her pink-haired student. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

Sakura found the strength to open her eyes and smile at her mentor. "Thank you, shishou-sama."

Naruto handed a glass of water to one of his best friends, which she gratefully drank. "That was . . . that was amazing, Sakura-chan," he praised with a huge grin. Even he, as an observer, had felt the intensity of the seal.

"Thanks." She lifted two fingers and flashed him a "peace" sign.

"You've truly come a long way, Sakura," Kakashi said, pride obvious in his tone.

She smiled at him. "I wouldn't have done it without your help, too, Sensei."

Naruto turned to his black-haired friend. "Oi, teme, are you okay?"

No answer.

"Oi, I'm talking you. Are you okay?"

More silence.

"You bloody teme, how dare you ignore me!"

Nothing.

"Hey, obaa-san, does the seal make him deaf and mute, too?"

"Urusei, baka."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Sasuke," Tsunade agreed as she passed him a glass of water. "You're going to be dizzy for a while. I suggest you get some rest afterwards. Same goes for you, Sakura."

"Hai, shishou-sama."

Sasuke felt as if he couldn't breathe. He glanced at Sakura and then down at his hands; they were shaking. His pulse raced unnaturally fast and his muscles felt extremely tight. What he'd gone through . . . he couldn't even begin to find the words to explain it.

"Neji," he heard Tsunade call out to the dark-haired Hyuuga prodigy. "It's your turn now."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the ANBU captain replied. "But after Sakura, it's going to seem anti-climatic."

Sakura chuckled weakly. "Ah, humility from the Hyuuga genius. You just made my day, Neji-san."

"Cherish the moment then, Sakura. It's not going to happen again," the dark-haired young man said with a wink.

"Don't worry, Neji, I'll wave pom-poms for you if you want!" Naruto teased.

"Baka," Neji said as he moved to where Sakura had been standing moments ago. "Please shift a bit forward, Uchiha-san," he said formally.

It annoyed him, but Sasuke did as told. His jaw clenched and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hyuuga's arm shoot forward and felt the consequent tap at the juncture of his spine. The act was painless and over in a second, leaving him feeling even more lightheaded. His body felt as if the weight had been drained in half and he realized it was from the feeling of half of his chakra being blocked.

"It is done, Hokage-sama," Neji declared. "The blockage will be removed on your orders."

"Thank you, Neji. You both did well, Sakura, Neji."

They nodded respectfully.

The meeting moved pretty quickly from then on as Tsunade assured everyone—especially the advisors—that everything was in tact. Sasuke was made to sign a contract as an agreement to his sentence and the tension that hung in the air slowly evaporated. There were other matters to be taken of, but they could wait for a later day.

"Oi, obaa-san," Naruto began. "Something's been bothering me. Just now you said that until Sasuke reaches Jounin level, he'll only be doing D-rank missions, ne?"

Tsunade smiled, knowing what was to come. "That's correct."

"Ano . . . so what's his shinobi level now?"

"Use what brain Kami-sama has generously decide to give you, brat. What level was he when he left?"

It took him a moment but when it finally dawned on him, his bright blue eyes widened and a large smile began to slowly form on his whisker-marked face. "You mean . . .?"

Sasuke glared at the back of the Hokage's head. _Like hell!_

Tsunade's laughter rang clear and loud. "Hai, hai!"

Naruto almost fell to the floor laughing. "You hear that, teme? You're a . . . you're a . . ." he sputtered.

"Genin," Kakashi finished for him, his shoulders beginning to shake.

"Genin! Genin!" Naruto gasped. "Genin!"

Sakura bit her bottom lip to stop herself from giggling and even Neji had to place a hand over his mouth to hide his amusement.

Sasuke's face was pale with dread and the tips of his ears with bright red. _The moment I'm strong enough, I'm going to . . ._

Tsunade cleared her throat, attempting to appear serious even as her body shook with mirth."We'll leave you now, Sasuke. I hope you realize how close you'd come to the executioner's block and take advantage of the chance you've been given."

"Aa. Thank you, Hokage-sama," the Uchiha heir said and there was genuine respect in his tone, even though a part of him was still picturing setting fire to a couple of blondes.

She grinned. "And one more thing, you brat," she said.

"Hai?"

"Welcome home, Uchiha Sasuke."

And for the first time since he'd been a boy and had witnessed the bloodied bodies of his family littering the Uchiha manor, Uchiha Sasuke smiled. Not a smirk, but a soft, honest smile. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

He glanced at the grinning faces of his former sensei and his one-time best friend, whose friendships were unquestionable and freely given , and then at a pair of gentle green eyes that, for the first time since his return, gazed back at him without indifference. It wasn't going to be smooth sailing from here on, but at least he knew he wouldn't be facing the difficulties alone.

_Aa. He was home_.

**To be continued . . .**

Damn, that was a long one. Yes, it's a bit a mushy for Sasuke, but I want to have some growth, you know? And I'm sure you know that Sasuke is a hard character to write, especially if you're trying to avoid him from becoming OOC.

Ah, well, you all know what to now, don't you? Just press that little button at the left-hand corner and you'll be transported into the magical land of reviews :)**  
**


	5. These Precious People

As always thanks for the wonderful reviews and hope you all enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Naruto was sprawled on the floor of the hospital room, clutching his sides. Every few seconds, he drew a deep, wheezing breath, stuttered, then lost himself again in waves of laughter.

Kakashi stood over him and watched him repeat the ridiculous sequence several times before nudging him with the toe of his boot. "Would you _stop_ it," he said although he too was smiling.

The blonde-haired shinobi gasped, thumping his chest with his fists, then collapsed again into guffaws. "S-Sasuke's a—_ah-hahaha_—he's a-a . . . h-he's a G-Genin!" he roared, clutching his stomach. "Genin!"

Kakashi's lips twitched and he bit his bottom lip as he moved to hold back the growling Sasuke. "I think that's enough, Naruto," the silver-haired Jounin said.

"Y-you should h-have s-seen your face!" Naruto hollered, almost choking on his own laughter. "G-G-Genin!"

"Naruto," the black-haired young man said in disgust, "a half amount of chakra or not, I can still breathe fire through my mouth. Want to see me try?"

Instead of taking the threat seriously, Naruto continued to howl with laughter, kicking his legs up the air, his face streaked with tears of mirth. "D-d-don't worry, S-S-Sasuke, I'm s-sure if you a-ask nicely, Kono-Konoha-hamaru can give you a few p-pointers! He's a—_ah-hahaha_—C-Chuunin now. He's helping Iruka-sensei out with t-teaching at the A-Academy—_ah-hahaha!_" He burst into another torrent of laughter that promptly turned into a fit of coughing, clutching his neck as he attempted to breathe in air into his lungs, which was difficult to do in his current position.

Standing near the doorway, her back supported by the wall, Sakura watched as Naruto's face become even redder. Neji stood next to her as he too watched the scene in front of him. Tsunade had left a while ago, after making sure that both Sakura and Sasuke were all right, taking the advisors as well as the ANBU nin along with her.

"Naruto likes to live his life dangerously, ne?" Neji said quietly to Sakura.

She nodded, chewing her bottom lip as she watched Sasuke being physically restrained by their former sensei. "The baka has always been blind to hazardous situations."

Neji chuckled. "I should go now. Will you be all right walking home?" he asked politely.

She flashed him a reassuring smile. "Hai. Kakashi-sensei and Naruto will probably accompany me—if the crazy one currently rolling on the floor doesn't pass out from laughing, that is."

"Some of the others and I are gathering at the bar tonight," the Hyuuga prodigy told her. "If you've recovered, come and join us."

"I'll try my best to be there. Tsunade-sama took me off my duties for two days, so I'll probably come."

Neji nodded and then gestured at the Uchiha with his chin. "I was actually surprised when Hokage-sama told me there won't be any formal trial for him, but considering his circumstances, I guess I shouldn't have been."

"Hmm. He's fortunate, I guess, that Tsunade-sama is so compassionate."

"He's fortunate to have good friends like you, too."

Sakura lightly blushed. "Ah, a compliment from the genius, how _am_ I supposed to survive it?"

Neji snorted and then grew serious. "That seal you performed—that was a sight to see, Sakura."

She glanced at him, surprised. "Thank you, Neji-san." She'd been worried that he would be offended, considering his own juin was similar to the one she'd performed on Sasuke.

He shrugged. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Maybe. Walk home carefully, Neji-san, and be on the lookout for wild boars," she couldn't resist adding and then laughed when he flashed her a rude finger gesture that every shinobi was familiar with.

The light, tinkling sound briefly distracted Sasuke from his attempt to dismantle his blonde-haired friend and his eyes narrowed as he watched the Hyuuga prodigy leave the room. The easy smiles, the shared laughter—he wondered how and when Sakura had developed what seemed to be a friendly relationship with the Byakugan user. Before he left Konoha, he hadn't been aware that they had even _spoken_ with each other, much less exchange light-hearted banters.

He kept his gaze on her as she walked over to Naruto and unconsciously, his hand went to the newly-formed seal on his shoulder. It was still warm and he could still feel the slight heat inside him. She bent down a bit over Naruto's sprawled form and the motion brought attention to her—

Sasuke glanced away only to meet the dark eye of his former sensei, who stared back at him with a knowing look.

"What?" Sasuke demanded rudely.

Underneath his mask, the Jounin smiled mischievously. "Sakura's sure grown up nicely, ne, Sasuke-_kun?_"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh my, so defensive," Kakashi said in a whining voice that grated on Sasuke's nerves.

"Shut up, old man," he hissed.

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head. _Interesting_, he thought.

Sakura, oblivious to the conversation between her former teacher and teammate, was trying to make Naruto get off the floor. "That's enough, you moron. You look absurd."

"B-but, S-Sakura-chan! D-d-didn't you hear what obaa-san s-said? S-S-Sasuke's a G-G-Genin!" the blonde sputtered.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, we all heard it, Naruto, and we all had a good laugh. Now get up, you're going to catch a cold if you don't." It wasn't exactly true, but at that moment Sakura wasn't thinking straight. The adrenaline that had kept her on her feet was disappearing and lethargy was rapidly taking over. She closed her eyes for a moment and she could see the small speckles of lights dancing behind their lids. If she didn't find a bed—preferably _her _bed—soon, she was going to collapse where she stood.

Naruto abruptly stopped laughing and sprang to his feet. "Sakura-chan?" he said, his voice etched with concern. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a weak smile, massaging her temple with her fingers. "I'm just exhausted. I think I better head home before I have to spend one more night in the hospital."

"Then I'll walk you home," Naruto offered, as she'd assumed he would.

"Thanks, Naruto."

They turned around and found Kakashi and Sasuke locked in what apparently seemed to be a staring contest.

"Oi, you two, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi tore his eyes away from his black-haired former student and smiled at the two other shinobi. "Nothing," he answered glibly. "Na, Sakura, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I think I must."

"Good. Tsunade-sama said you needed rest. I'll walk you back."

"It's fine, Kakashi-sensei, if you have something else to do. Naruto already offered to accompany me," Sakura told him. "I don't want to trouble you."

"No trouble at all. Especially for my favorite former pink-haired student," he added with a subtle glance at Sasuke, who narrowed his eyes warningly.

"Mou, I'm your only former pink-haired student," Sakura pointed out with a smile.

"Mmm, that's right," Kakashi agreed sheepishly.

"Oi, you old pervert, are you trying to hit on her?" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi sighed. "It's a sad day when showing concern means that you're trying to seduce a beautiful woman," he remarked sadly.

"Sou, sou," Sakura agreed laughingly. "Besides, when it comes to older men, I'm more of the Genma type."

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, aghast.

Sakura and Kakashi chuckled and observing them, Sasuke couldn't help but feel like an outsider. He was acutely aware that years ago, Sakura would have blushed crimson and then proceeded to bash Naruto's skull open for his tactless comment. Obviously, the three of them had gotten closer during his absence and on some unexplainable level, it irritated him to feel left out.

Which pissed him off even more. He didn't like the feeling, did not welcome it all. He'd thought he was immune to such petty emotions and to discover he was wrong infuriated him.

"_Look at me damn it! Show me that you can at least _feel!_"_

His jaw clenched at the memory of his words. _What does she know anyway?_ Sasuke thought petulantly. Did she know that when he closed his eyes at night, he saw blood spattered across the walls of his family's home? Did she know that he couldn't look at Naruto without remembering how he'd left his best friend's broken, almost lifeless body lying in the middle of nowhere? Did she know that every time he saw someone crying, he saw large green eyes shining with tears as they begged him not to leave? True, he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but despite what she thought, he was not without emotions.

"Oi, Sasuke," he heard his former sensei call out to him, breaking into his thoughts.

"What?" he said.

"We're leaving. Get some rest."

"That's right," Naruto added. "Little Genin need all the rest they can get."

He scowled at the blonde-haired shinobi. "Fuck off."

"Maa, maa, you should show more respect to your superior," Naruto mocked.

"Naruto," Sakura scolded good-naturedly. "That's enough for today. Come on, or I'll leave without you." She started to head toward the door.

"Sakura." Her name slipped out his mouth before he could stop them.

She turned to look at him, her green eyes cool. "Yes?"

"I . . ." What he could he say? "I . . . thank you."

It was perhaps, in her opinion, the worst thing he could have said to her. The words evoked within her memories she'd tried hard to suppress, memories from a night that had been one of the worst moments in her life.

"No need to thank me, Sasuke," she said coolly. "I was doing my duty."

His black eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything and realized there was no need anyway, because as soon she delivered the statement, she walked out of the room without a backward glance.

"Oo-oi, wait up, Sakura!" Naruto called out, chasing after her.

Kakashi sighed again and gave Sasuke a brief pat on the shoulder. "Ja, we'll see you later, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"_I was only doing my duty."_

It was possibly the worst thing she had ever said to him.

* * *

"I don't get her, Kakashi," Naruto remarked as they watched Sakura disappear into the safety of her apartment.

"Hmm?" the older Jounin said, looking up from his book.

"Sakura," the younger man clarified. "Sometimes I think she's gonna get back to normal, and then she turns around and do something that says otherwise. Are all women that complicated or is it just her?"

"Maa, right now, Sakura's probably more complicated than others," Kakashi stated.

"But Sasuke's back. Shouldn't she be, I don't know, happy? I mean, it's Sasuke for crying out loud!"

Kakashi glanced at the blonde-haired young man from the corner of his eye. _Poor boy_, he thought. His family—the only family he'd known—was once again complete, but there were still gaps between them.

He sighed and closed his book, slipping it into his pocket. "Sakura's changed a lot, Naruto. When Sasuke left, she hurt on a level so much more different than yours. She never had to go through heartaches like we did and Sasuke's absence was the first real tragic in her life, so she'll probably find it harder to forgive him—to forgive herself for what she probably thinks was caused by her weakness." Kakashi smiled. "Women are illogical that way."

He reached out and laid a hand on Naruto's arm. "They're both at a point in their lives where things are complicated. All we can do now is support them and let them settle their problems themselves. No matter how much we want to interfere, we can't. They have to do it by their selves or they'll never be as happy as we want them to be. Do you understand, Naruto?"

"I guess so. Demo, it's hard, you know? They're my . . . they're my precious people."

Kakashi smiled ruefully. "I know, Naruto, I know. They're mine, too, but there's not much we can do right now. We just have to sit back and watch. But I know one thing now, we're going to have one helluva time watching them. Those two—they carry so much baggage between them, it's bound to be entertaining when they finally figure things out."

* * *

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, laced her hands together and stretched, giving a satisfied smile when she heard her knuckles crack. She hated paperwork! Even after eight years, she still hadn't been able to clear her desk. Every time she thought she could rest, Shizune came in and placed more piles on her table. She was the Hokage, damn it, not some bloody pencil-pusher! She should be exempted from doing this!

She stifled a yawn and twirled in her chair, looking out through her open window at the sunny village of Konoha. It was barely eight o'clock in the morning and she was already yearning for a glass of sake.

Suddenly, a fox-like face appeared in her line of vision and she bit a back a scream as she sprang away, the back of her chair hitting the edge of her desk hard.

"Oi, obaa-san," the fox said.

"Naruto no baka!" she hissed. "How many times have I told you not to do that?"

The young man seemed unperturbed as he hung upside down in front of her window like a pesky bat. "You busy? I need to talk you."

"Go away, damn it."

He ignored her words and jumped into the room, landing neatly on the floor.

The Hokage groaned and rubbed her temples. "What the hell do you want now?"

"Why did you choose Sakura?" he asked, leaning against the wall with his arms and legs crossed.

"Excuse me?"

"That seal thing yesterday. Why did you choose Sakura when you could have done it yourself?"

"I have my reasons, Naruto."

"That's not a good answer, damn it."

"It's the only answer you'll get, you brat!" Tsunade shouted back. "I'm the Hokage—_I_ decide what's the best course of action."

Naruto sniffed and muttered something under his breath.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What was that, boy?"

"You sure it's okay?" Naruto asked instead of answering her. "I mean, with how Sakura's been acting toward Sasuke, she can easily decide to fry his brain when she gets her period."

The Hokage snorted. "Do you really think that?"

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose not."

"Listen here, you little brat. Sakura's first and foremost a Konoha ninja. She's loyal to the boot and she won't do anything to jeopardize my trust in her. I'd never have given her such a responsibility if I felt otherwise."

"Hmm, that's true, but you're wrong you know."

"What?" Tsunade demanded, annoyed.

"Sakura's a Konoha ninja but first and foremost, she's family. _My_ family and though it doesn't seem like it now, she's Sasuke's family, too," Naruto said quietly. "And no matter how she _thinks_ otherwise, she'll never do anything to jeopardize _our_ trust in her."

A smile crossed her face, but Tsunade quickly smothered it, opting to scowl at the younger man. "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

He shrugged again. "Just wanted to say good morning, I guess."

"Well, it _was_ a good morning until you came along. Now get out of my office—you're disturbing my work."

Naruto snorted. "Please. You were probably looking for an excuse to slack off."

"Get out!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Sheesh. Women!"

* * *

_It was perhaps three years ago. Naruto had returned early from his mission and had been disappointed to learn that both Sakura and Kakashi were out of the village because of their own missions. Kakashi, he didn't worry about much, but Sakura . . . though she'd proven to be more than capable in handling herself in dangerous situations, Naruto still couldn't suppress his protective instincts when it came to her. _

_He was walking past the village gates, his belly full of Ichiraku's delicious ramen, when he spotted the group of shinobi walking toward the village. He didn't pay them much attention until he spotted the familiar pink hair among the group and a large smile crossed his whisker-marked face._

"_Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed, dashing past the other villagers who gave him a wide-berth when they saw him break into a run. "Sakura!"_

_She didn't see him instantly and when he got closer, he abruptly drew to a halt as he noticed the expression of her face. She was pale, her usually bright eyes dull and red shot. She walked slowly, as if her feet were too heavy to lift. Her hands were caked with black smudges and dried mud and that itself was cause for concern, as he knew how fixated she was with self-cleanliness, no matter what the occasion._

_There was something else that bothered him aside from her appearance. He caught the splattering of red on her once pristine-white medical uniform and recognized the faint, but familiar scent. _Blood

_He stepped forward. "Sakura-chan?" he said in a voice barely above a whisper._

_She looked up and the look in her eyes almost staggered him. She looked so . . . _defeated_. He'd never seen her wear such an expression, not even during their younger days when she was still struggling to overcome what she, as well as many others, had deemed her flaws._

"_Saku—" His voice faltered as she brushed past him without a word, as if he weren't even there. He whipped around in shock, lifting his arm in an attempt to stop her._

_A large, heavy hand landed his shoulder and he glanced from it to its owner. Unique, white-colored eyes stared back at him, preventing him from the action._

"_Neji . . ."_

"_Leave her alone, Naruto," Hyuuga Neji told him firmly. Even the prodigy looked weary._

"_Neji, what happened?" Naruto demanded. "What's wrong with Sakura?"_

"_It was a hard mission," was the prodigy's cryptic answer. "There were few survivors."_

"_What mission? Survivors from what?" Naruto all but yelled, concern for one of his best friends making him louder than he usually was._

"_Leave it, Naruto," Neji said in a voice that brook no argument. "Sakura needs some time alone."_

"_What happened? Is Sakura okay? Oi, Hyuuga, I'm talking to you. Don't you dare walk away, damn it! Hyuuga!"_

Naruto frowned. Now, looking back, he realized that was the day Sakura had started to act differently. That was the day she had lost the spark that usually gleamed in her large green eyes.

That was the day she'd given up on searching for Sasuke.

"Kuso," Naruto muttered, his fingers tightening around his chopsticks. On hindsight, he realized he shouldn't have listened to that damn Hyuuga. He should have pestered the other man for more information. He should have followed Sakura and found out what happened. He should have . . . should have . . . he should have done a lot of things he hadn't done.

_Damn it,_ he thought. What had happened on that mission? All he knew was that they had been sent to a neighboring village that had been under attack and that by the time they'd gotten there, the damage had been done. There had been few survivors and too many bodies to count. But that couldn't have affected Sakura so much, could it? All shinobi experienced death—some more than others—during the course of their lives. It was part of their job description. Sakura knew that. So what had been so different about that particular mission?

"Not hungry, Naruto?"

He looked up to smile at the slightly-wrinkled face of the man who without a doubt made the best ramen in the world. "Just thinking, oji-san," he replied as he stuffed a few strands of noodles into his mouth.

The old man nodded, satisfied by the answer. For a moment there, he'd been worried that his number one customer had gotten tired of his ramen.

"Na, oji-san?" Naruto said as he took a sip from his glass of water.

"Hmmm?"

"Life's pretty hard sometimes, isn't it?"

The old man smiled as he dried a bowl. "Of course it is. But I've always believed that it's up to us to make the best out of it. Hai, life can be pretty hard sometimes, but it can pretty wonderful, too. Don't you agree, Naruto?"

"That's true." Naruto grinned and then lifted his bowl to his lips. A second later he set it down and stood up. "That was great as always, oji-san, but I have to go now. I'll come back later."

"Oo-oi, choto matte, Naruto! You didn't pay for your meal!" the old man called out after the blonde-haired young man.

"Put it on my tab!" he shouted back as he ran through the crowded street. He moved fast and moments later he disappeared from sight.

The old man sighed as he looked forlornly at the numerous empty bowls left by his number one customer. "Tab, my foot," he muttered. "It's going to take him a century to pay _that_ up."

* * *

"Sakura, Sakura . . ."

She buried her face deeper into her soft, warm pillow, stubbornly refusing to open her eyes.

"Sakura-chan, it's me. Wake up."

_No way!_ she silently screamed. _Go away and leave me to my sleep!_

But that annoying voice refused to shut up. "Come on, Sakura-chan, wake up. Sakura-chan!"

_Aargh!_ Her eyes sprang open to meet a pair of cerulean ones and a groan was emitted from deep within her throat. "It's too early for this, damn it," she mumbled, hugging her bed covers close to her.

Naruto smiled as he watched his female friend stir under the mountain of pillows and comforters. "Good, you're up," he said.

_No kidding_, she thought, annoyed. She rubbed her eyes and swallowed to wet her throat, which was dry from sleep. "Naruto," she began groggily.

"Hai?" he said, bending closer so he could hear her better.

"You're one of my best friends and I love you a lot."

His gaze softened at the rare declaration of affection. "I love you, too, Sakura-chan. You're like a sister to me."

"That's nice to know," Sakura said softly. "But, Naruto?"

"Hai?"

"You have exactly five seconds to tell me what possessed you to wake me up this early before I decide to make a Naruto-sized hole in my bedroom wall."

Naruto gulped. "It's not early. It's almost noon," he blurted out, slightly panicked.

"That's irrelevant. Medics rarely get to sleep and I was _extremely_ tired. Three seconds."

A trickle of sweat formed at the side of the blonde's face. "You didn't show up at the bar last night so I wondered what happened to you."

"One second. This room could use another window, ne?"

"I-It's Thursday and I was worried."

She paused in gathering her chakra into her fist. _Thursday_. It was an unofficial rule, but she and Naruto always met up for breakfast on Thursdays when they were both in the village. Over the years, their respective jobs had made it rather difficult to see each other and their Thursday mornings' get-together was one of the things they did to ensure the solidity of their friendship.

Sakura sighed and pushed the covers to her waist. "You're saved, Naruto," she declared and couldn't help but smile when he released a long breath of relief.

"How did you get in anyway?"

"I used the key you gave me."

"I must have been out of my mind when I gave it to you."

"Probably. You gave one to Kakashi, too."

"What time is it?" she asked as she squinted to look at the clock on the small table beside her bed. Fortunately for Naruto, he hadn't pulled back the curtains so the room was still slightly dim. She sat up in the bed and stretched her arms, biting her bottom lip to stifle her yawn.

"I told you, it's almost noon," Naruto reminded her as he straightened to his full height. "When you didn't show up at Ichiraku's earlier, I decided to come over and see if you're okay."

She snorted. "After your tenth or twentieth bowl?" she asked sarcastically.

"Hey, I'll have you know that a guy my age gets hungry easily."

"Naruto, your hunger matches a gorilla's," Sakura pointed out dryly. "You're still hungry, aren't you?"

"I only had seven bowls," he said defensively.

She rolled her eyes. "Go into the kitchen and make us something to eat while I take a quick shower. And be careful," she called out to his back. "I just had the stove replaced after you burned it down last week!"

"I was _trying_ to make the water boil faster!"

Sakura stood under the shower for a full ten minutes, letting the hot spray of water drive away her drowsiness and soothe her still somewhat aching muscles. She clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling the tingling there. "Damn," she muttered to herself, "I really used up a lot of chakra. Thank God I don't have to go to work today."

Moments later, she appeared from her bedroom, her face rather flushed from the heat of the shower and her damp hair trailing over her shoulders. She wasn't surprised to find the two bowls of instant ramen placed on her kitchen table and Naruto already scoffing one down. Normally, if given the time, she preferred to prepare her ramen from scratch—thank God her mother had made sure she learned how to cook—but because she was almost always too busy—and that she was good friends with a certain blonde whose obsession with ramen bordered on insanity—she kept her pantry well-stocked with the instant noodles.

Naruto looked up as she entered the kitchen and smiled at her. "You're lucky you didn't take too long in the shower, or I would've eaten your bowl, too."

"I don't doubt it," she retorted as she walked over to her refrigerator and took a jug of iced-tea. "One of these days, Naruto, your stomach is going to—"

"—explode from eating ramen," he finished for her, having heard this lecture numerous times. "Yes, I know, _Doctor_."

"Smart ass," she muttered as she sat down at the table across from her friend. The smell of ramen wafted to her nose and her stomach gave a responding growl, reminding her that she hadn't eaten a thing since she came home yesterday.

The two friends sat down quietly, enjoying their meal and each other's company. Sakura had moved out of her mother's house when she was eighteen and the apartment she currently lived in was nice and comfortable, not too big nor too small. She had decorated it with warm, soothing tones, creating a place that invited one to relax and unwind. It was also Naruto-proofed, with very few delicate crystals and vases, as she'd known from the very beginning that he would be a constant visitor.

"So how did it go at the bar last night?" she asked.

He started to speak, but almost choked from the mouthful of ramen in his mouth. She rolled her eyes and poured him a glass of tea. "Swallow, you savage, swallow."

He took a deep gulp and then set the glass down, wheezing a bit. "It was fun. Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Lee and Tenten were there."

"And?"

Naruto grinned. "Lee got drunk."

Sakura groaned. "Did anyone get hurt?" she asked, already picturing an emergency room full of patients who had been unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of the drunken taijutsu specialist.

"Nothing too serious, but Lee will sure as hell be in a lot of pain the moment he gets over his hangover."

"Why is that?"

"He accidentally gave Tenten a black eye."

Sakura chuckled. Accident or not, the weapon mistress would undoubtedly be merciless in her retribution. She smiled as she pictured the pretty, brown-haired young woman and thick-browed man. She wasn't exactly sure _when _it had happened, but a while ago, she had noticed that Lee no longer gave her those dark, longing looks and she knew it would only be a matter of time before she would hear rumors about Lee and Tenten's relationship. She was happy for them. In their line of work, relationships—especially _great _relationships—were rare and a part of her was eternally grateful that Lee had given up on her. She cared for him deeply, but only as a good friend and she knew that Tenten had always had a soft spot for her teammate, despite the rumors that had surrounded her and Hyuuga Neji.

"Was Hinata there?" she asked.

Naruto shook his head as he reached for his second bowl of ramen. "Nope. She's on a mission in the waterfall country and Kiba's been moping all week. He didn't talk much last night. It was pitiful."

Sakura slanted her friend an amused look from underneath her lashes. She wondered if he would ever learn of the Hyuuga heiress' long-time crush on him all those years ago, which had, of course, faded the moment Kiba found enough courage to pursue her. They made a surprisingly good couple and Sakura had never seen Hinata happier. The other young woman could still be painfully shy at times, but she no longer stuttered around those she considered her friends.

"Relationships are nice, aren't they, Naruto?" Sakura said wistfully, thinking of her own lack of one.

Her friend shrugged. "I guess you can say so. Personally, I think it takes away a guy's balls."

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, disgusted by his crudity.

"What?" he said defensively. "It _does!_"

"Humph! We'll see if you still feel that way in a few years."

"Providing I _do _find someone I want to have a relationship with. If you haven't noticed, Sakura-chan, I don't currently know anyone who I can even _think _to have a relationship with."

"Oh?" Sakura started to smile slyly. "What about a certain Hyuuga heiress?"

"Hinata?" Naruto's eyebrows rose incredulously. "You must be more tired than usual, Sakura. She's with Kiba and I don't poach."

"_Not_ Hinata."

Cerulean eyes widened as Naruto finally realized who Sakura was talking about. "O-oi . . .!"

"You had to lead a Chuunin team on a mission last month, didn't you?" Sakura reminded him. "A certain Chuunin with a certain, _younger_ Hyuuga heiress on it?"

"Y-you don't know what you're talking about, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Please," Sakura snorted, deciding to take the direct approach. "I've seen how Hyuuga Hanabi looks at you sometimes—she's certainly isn't shy like her sister. And if I'm not mistaken, I once saw _you_ checking her out."

"You're c-crazy!" Naruto sputtered. "She's freaking fifteen years old!"

"Which makes you a pervert. My, my, Naruto, you _are_ Jiraiya's student, aren't you?" Sakura teased.

"You need to get your head checked," Naruto mumbled. "Too much chakra to the brain. Checking out Hyuuga Hanabi, my ass."

Sakura chuckled. How odd it would be if Naruto did finally end up with a Hyuuga, but not the Hyuuga many had once assumed it would be. Hanabi was a skilled Chuunin—as expected, considering her bloodline—and she was almost the exact opposite of her older sister. Whether or not she was destined for Naruto, only time would tell, but for now, Sakura would take great pleasure in teasing her friend about it.

"You're one to talk about Hyuugas anyway," Naruto hissed. "What's going on between you and Neji?"

Sakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to snort. "You guys have this weird flirtation going on. Everyone has noticed it. He's more talkative around you."

"Hyuuga Neji and I are good friends, nothing more, nothing less. He's an excellent shinobi and he's very smart. I like talking to him—he doesn't make me feel as if I'm talking to a twelve-year-old," she couldn't resist adding with a pointed look at Naruto.

He ignored the insult. "Yeah, well, there's nothing going on between Hyuuga Hanabi and me either, so drop it."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They engaged in a staring contest for long minutes before they finally dissolved into chuckles. "Look at us," Sakura declared. "Kakashi-sensei was right. Years down the road and we're still bickering like children."

Naruto grinned. "But it's good, ne? I like knowing that some things will never change."

"Mmm-hmm." They both returned their attention to their meal, lapsing into comfortable silence again. They had gone through so much together and their friendship had had many ups and downs, but through it all, they had still come out . . . pretty okay and both were utterly grateful for that.

* * *

"Na, Sakura?"

"Mmm?" They were in her living room, lounging on the cozy sofas she'd bought at a yard sale two years ago. She looked up from the magazine she'd been rifling through. "Nani?"

"Are you going to see Sasuke today?"

Sakura inwardly sighed. _He just _had_ to bring it up, didn't he?_ she thought and promptly told him so.

"Can you blame me?" he demanded. "My best friends are obviously having problems with each other and you expect me to do _nothing?_"

Her jaw clenched, angry at him for being so damned persistent, angry at herself for making him worry. Naruto had had enough worries—she didn't want to add her problems to them as well.

"Do you hate him that much, Sakura?" Naruto asked seriously, so unlike his usual cheerful tone.

She sighed and ran a hand through her slightly damp hair. "I . . . I don't _hate_ him, Naruto."

"What is it then?" Naruto studied her face closely. "You've said some pretty harsh words to him, Sakura. Please, help me understand."

She bit her lip and avoided his gaze. "Listen to me, Naruto. I have some . . . issues with him. You're my best friend—my family, but please, they're _my_ issues. Let me deal with them on my own."

He stared at her for a long time and then finally he gave a curt nod, knowing that she was stubborn enough to distance herself from him—and everyone else—if he pushed too hard.

"Okay, Sakura, okay," he said, resigned. "But you do know that if you need anything—anything at all—I'll always be here for you, right?"

She smiled at him, feeling the fist around her heart loosen a bit. "Of course. It's a promise of a lifetime, ne?"

He grinned. "Hai, Sakura-chan, a promise of a lifetime."

**To be continued . . .**

**

* * *

**

Okay, I know that some of you—heck, _most _of you—aren't exactly pleased with the idea of a non-Naruto/Hinata pairing, but I'm the type of person who likes to explore other possibilities. And besides, this is fan fiction, so I'm allowed to explore, so if you guys don't like it, you can kiss my virtual . . . well, you know what, heehee . . .

For those of you who aren't _that _mad, you know what to do now, don't you? Opinions, suggestions, hell, even critiques, are cordially invited.


	6. Readjusting and Remembering

First up, many apologies for this horribly late update. First it was my final exams and then my laptop had to be sent to the PC clinic to have its LCD replaced. Sigh, such is life.

Anyway, as usual, thank you so much for all of your reviews and please, please, PLEASE, keep them coming.

Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and stay tuned for the next one :)

**Warning**: There are more cursing in this chapter (uses of the F-word) so if you guys don't like, don't read. And um, from here onwards, you'll notice a gradual build-up of this story to its rating. So, um . . . yeah . . . okay . . . that's it.

R&R, please and thank you!

P.S: I'm having a few problems uploading my documents (I have no idea why) so it could be the reason if I'm not back here by next week. Peace out.

* * *

**Chapter 6 **

It had been nearly two weeks since Sasuke's return and Tsunade had finally given him her permission to leave the hospital, along with strict orders to not strain himself and warnings that ANBU spies would be observing his every move.

On the day he was set to be released, Sasuke sat on his bed, his long legs dangling over the edge of the mattress, and stared disdainfully at the walking stick Tsunade had given him earlier. The woman must be out of her mind if she thought he would even _consider_ using it, regardless of how much pain it caused him to stand up for too long. So what if his left wrist was still wrapped in a cast? So what if his ribs ached if he put too much pressure on it? The pain wasn't permanent and he'd be damned if he appeared an invalid in front of everyone!

The door to his room suddenly swung open and Naruto walked in, his usual goofy grin on his face. "Good morning, teme!" the blonde exclaimed. "I bet you're excited that you're finally going out today!"

"Hn," he replied. He glanced past his friend's shoulder and saw his silver-haired former sensei standing in the doorway. He was alone.

"She didn't come," Sasuke said flatly, wondering why he felt disappointed.

Naruto squirmed uncomfortably. "She—she went on a mission yesterday," he said, thinking about the argument they'd had before she left. "But she's supposed to be back today. Maybe she'll come by your apartment later."

"Hn," Sasuke repeated with an indifferent shrug and then he noticed the object next to Kakashi. "What the fuck is that?"

"Now, now, Sasuke," Kakashi began calmly, "Tsunade said it's mandatory. You just have to use until we're out of the hospital."

"There's no way in hell I'm going to leave the hospital in a wheelchair!" Sasuke declared vehemently.

Naruto grinned. "Obaa-san predicted you were going to say that. She told me to tell you that if you refused, you can't leave the hospital. It's either that or we'll have to tie you to it."

"Then you're going to have to tie me to it," Sasuke snapped. "The woman's must be out of her bloody mind if she thought I would agree."

"Sasuke, don't be a baby," Kakashi teased. "Now come on, upsy daisy into the wee-tle wheelchair."

"Fuck you," Sasuke hissed, not at all amused.

"Come on, teme!" Naruto exclaimed, clearly trying hard not to laugh. "The sooner you get in it, the sooner you'll get out of it!"

"No."

"Sasu—"

"No, damn it! Fuck, don't touch me, Naruto. Let—!"

A minute later, Sasuke's arms and legs were bound tightly by both Kakashi and Naruto's chakra strings and a cloth was tied around his mouth and eyes—he'd tried using his Sharingan on Naruto—and he was wiggling furiously in the wheelchair. Behind his gag, he was using every curse word he knew—and he knew a lot—and he dimly wondered who the next Hokage would be since neither Naruto nor Kakashi would be around after Tsunade's funeral.

When his blind was finally lifted, he saw that they were standing in front of his old apartment. "You used jutsu," he—the gag had also been removed—said to Kakashi, more of a statement than a question.

"Of course," the Jounin replied. "Or would you have rather we pushed you through the streets on the wheelchair?"

Sasuke told them in explicit words what they should do with the wheelchair, but they laughed it off and Naruto unlocked the door.

Sasuke stepped inside first—damn, but it did hurt a _bit_ to walk—and studied his apartment for a long time. It was exactly as he had left it, simple and neat with only the required furniture.

"It's clean," he declared after brushing his hand over the surface of a nearby table and finding it dust-free.

"Yeah," Naruto said and then added, "Sakura cleaned it."

The black-haired shinobi shot his friend a surprised glance. He hadn't known that. Considering her indifference toward him, he'd thought she wouldn't care less.

Kakashi correctly read his expression and told him, "After you left, the Hokage changed the locks and ordered four sets of keys to be made. I have one, Naruto has one and Sakura has one. Here are yours."

Sasuke deftly caught the keys the older man tossed him and scowled. "What about the rest? Now that I'm back, shouldn't you two give your copies to me, too?"

"Nah," Naruto replied with a smile. He patted his pocket. "It's more fun this way."

"I want them," Sasuke said with a glare.

"You can't have them," Kakashi drawled maddeningly.

Sasuke was contemplating on the multitude of ways he could retrieve the keys—all of which would give him immense satisfaction—when a thought occurred to him. "Why didn't Tsunade sell the apartment off? She didn't know I'd come back."

Naruto shrugged. "Regardless of what you did, what belongs to the Uchihas' property stays Uchihas' property. Shit, you're still rich even after the stunt you pulled."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but inside he was glad to know that his family's assets had not been touched. Like Naruto said, what belonged to the Uchihas, stayed the Uchihas'.

He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, wondering why he wasn't surprised to find it well-stocked. He mentally calculated and knew it would be days before he had to go out to buy more stuff. He was glad; he wasn't afraid—shit, no—but he didn't feel up to being stared at and whispered about—not yet. He never cared much about what people said about him, or how they reacted around him, but the idea of walking around the village so soon after his return wasn't really anticipated.

As if he'd spoken his thoughts out loud, Kakashi said, "You'll be okay for a few days, but you're going to have the leave the apartment whether you like or not."

"Yeah," Naruto interjected. "Don't worry—not everyone hates your guts and Tsunade has made sure that everyone understands you've been given the proper punishment."

"Like I care," Sasuke muttered. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water before turning around to look at his former teammates. "Are you two going to stick around all day? What, are we going to exchange war stories and tear-jerkers?" he said sarcastically.

Kakashi stared at him for a long time before glancing at Naruto and then back to him. "I have some things to do. I'll come back and check on you later, if not tomorrow."

"You don't have to. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."

"Maybe," Kakashi said in a tone of voice that made Sasuke bristle. "Try not to kill Naruto while I'm gone. Ja." And with a quiet "poof" the silver-haired Jounin disappeared.

Sasuke stared for a moment at the spot he'd stood before turning to his blonde-haired friend, who'd made himself comfortable in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "You're still here?" he said rudely.

Naruto lifted a shoulder casually. "I still have some time to kill."

"Whatever." Sasuke sat down across the other shinobi and raised the glass to his lips.

"You're not a very proper host," Naruto remarked. "You should offer me a drink."

"I don't have any intention of being a proper host. You're not invited."

"Arrogant son-of-a-bitch."

"Dead last."

Naruto smirked. "I'm not the one who's still a Genin."

Sasuke's fingers clenched around his glass. "Say that again."

"I can't," Naruto said. "Obaa-san told me I can't beat up a handicap."

Sasuke was about to prove the blonde's words wrong when Naruto said, "You shouldn't be mad at her."

"What? Tsunade? That old biddy can shove—"

"Not _her_. Sakura," Naruto clarified. "You shouldn't be mad at her."

"Who the fuck said I was mad at her?"

Naruto continued, as if Sasuke hadn't spoken. "When you left, you really hurt her. I don't know what she's going through right now, but I know I can't really blame her on how she's acting toward you. You did a number on her and you're going to have to make it up to her."

"I don't have to do anything," Sasuke snapped. "I didn't ask her to feel that way about me, I didn't ask her to fall in—" He stopped abruptly when he realized what he was about to say.

But Naruto knew anyway and he raised an eyebrow. "To fall in love with you? No, you didn't. But I learned the hard way that you can't help caring deeply about another person. The heart wants what the heart wants. Or in Sakura's case, the heart wanted what the heart wanted."

"When did you get all girly?"

"The day you betrayed your village," Naruto replied bluntly. "I was afraid, you know."

Sasuke shot his friend a questioning look.

"After you left," Naruto told him. "I was afraid."

"Why?" Sasuke smirked. "Afraid that I wasn't going to be around to pick up after you mess?"

Naruto ignored the insult. "No. I was afraid that I was going to lose another good friend."

The smirk on Sasuke's face faded as he understood the meaning behind Naruto's words. He was unable to resist from asking, "How was she? Was she—was she okay after I left?"

"What do you think?" Naruto shot back angrily as he recalled the expression on Sakura's face during the days after he'd failed to bring Sasuke back, of how she refused to do anything but sleep. Later, Kakashi had shared with him the concern the older man had had that Sakura would wish to "sleep forever." Naruto remembered clearly the way his heart had clenched at the idea, the fear that had seeped into his bones. He'd just lost one friend—one member of his family—he didn't want to lose another one.

Now, he looked at Sasuke and wanted to tell him everything, wanted him to know the pain he'd caused, especially to Sakura, by his absence. He knew his friend wasn't as cold as everyone thought he was and he wanted Sasuke to feel guilty, if not for betraying the village, then for betraying Sakura. But he couldn't because in doing so, Naruto himself would be betraying Sakura and that was something he didn't think he was capable of doing, regardless of his intention.

So instead, he said, "You really hurt her and she didn't deserve that. True, you didn't ask her to feel that way about you, but she did and you broke her heart."

"She seems to have recovered from it," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto snorted. "If it makes you happy to think that way, go ahead." He pushed back his chair and stood up. "I have to go. I have an ANBU meeting," he added just to piss his former teammate off.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but refrained from breathing fire through his mouth the way he wanted to.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto said just as he was about to leave.

"What?"

"I . . . I was your friend when you left and even if you don't want to think so, I'm still your friend now," Naruto told him firmly. "But if you ever leave again or make Sakura cry, I'll do all that I can to break every bone in your body, even if it means killing myself in the process."

"I'm not leaving," Sasuke stated. "As for the other matter . . . I can't promise anything. But I . . . I don't want to." He looked at his kitchen window and tried to ignore the strange twinge in his heart. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "I—I don't want to make her cry."

Naruto smiled. "That's good enough, I guess," he said softly.

"Naruto," Sasuke called out in a clipped tone.

"Yeah?"

"I—" Onyx eyes were fixed on the glass of water as if in rapid fascination. In a voice that sounded as if he were merely talking about the weather, the last remaining Uchiha said, "For what it's worth, I did—_do_ consider you my friend." He climbed to his feet and held out his hand, which was clenched into a fist. His face was impassive, but there was a shine to his eyes that didn't go unnoticed.

Naruto glanced down at Sasuke's fist and then glanced up again and his smile widened. He clenched his own hand and firmly tapped his knuckles against Sasuke's. As casually as his friend had spoken, Naruto said, "You're such a girl. See ya around, you bastard."

"Loser," Sasuke muttered as Naruto left the same way Kakashi had, but the corners of the Uchiha's lips were curled up slightly

* * *

Hours after Naruto had left, Sasuke stood in front of the window in his bedroom and stared out into the darkening sky. He briefly attempted to search for the ANBU nin he knew were surrounding his home, but couldn't spot them. A corner of his mouth lifted in a rueful smile. If he could spot them, then they weren't worthy to be called ANBU now, would they? 

After the days he'd spent in the hospital and the coming and goings of Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura and the others, he discovered that silence was no longer the solace he once considered it to be. The quietness of his apartment was a stark reminder of how empty his life was and it was oddly discomforting. He, who once found pleasure in being alone, no longer felt that way. It was strange; it made him feel as if he were a fish on dry land.

He turned away from the window and sat down on the edge of his bed. He needed to have it replaced; it was no longer large enough to accommodate his twenty-year-old physique. He imagined his feet would dangle over the end and knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep restfully tonight. _Ah well,_ he thought. He'd slept in worse conditions. At least his house was clean.

Thinking about that brought his mind to Sakura and Naruto's words echoed in his brain. He wasn't a fool—far from it—and he knew he'd hurt Sakura when he left the village. He remembered her words to him from that fateful night and cringed at the callousness of his reaction then. Truth was, he'd been afraid—afraid that someone cared about him that much. He hadn't been able to handle the depth of her feelings for him, for he'd made a vow to avenge his family. To reciprocate her feelings would have weakened him, made him vulnerable and he couldn't afford that. He'd had a promise to fulfill and if he'd allowed himself to care about her as much as she had him . . . the possibility to forget his promise had been there.

_"Thank you."_

He wondered if she'd ever figured out why he'd said that. While he hadn't wanted her feelings, had even been afraid by them, a part of him had been grateful for them. He had been essentially alone his entire life, betrayed by the one he'd trusted the most, and it had given him comfort to know that he'd be leaving the village with her love.

_Even though it didn't seem to last long_.

He ran a hand through his thick, unruly hair. It was what he wanted, wasn't it? He didn't need someone fawning over him, constantly looking at him with eyes filled with awe—awe he didn't believe he deserved.

A knock came from the other side of his front door, echoing throughout the empty house, and his hand automatically reached for the kunai he kept inside the pocket of his pants.

A frown marring his handsome features, he left his bedroom and walked into the living room. He crouched slightly in front of the door, his senses alert as he searched for the person's chakra. He didn't sense any, but that didn't mean anything, for even the most skilled Genin could easily mask their chakra.

With his grip firmly around the hilt of his kunai, he unlocked his door and swung it open, only to reveal an empty porch. He scowled. If it was Naruto pulling one of his stupid pranks, he'd show the blonde what he could do even with half of his chakra blocked.

He took a small step outside and almost tripped over an object placed on the floor of his porch. He lifted an eyebrow and looked down. A moment later, a half smile crept on his face and he bent to pick up the basket of fresh, ripe tomatoes.

There was a note tucked between the gleaming fruits and he squinted to read it underneath the dim lighting. _Sasuke, a housewarming gift_, it read. There was no signature at the bottom of the note, but he knew who the tomatoes were from. He recognized the neat, elegant scrawl and despite himself, his smile widened.

_Thanks, Sakura._

* * *

It had been a week since he was discharged from the hospital and two days since he decided to leave his apartment and reacquaint himself with the village. He'd learned to ignore the looks and the whispers that followed him and was unaffected by the snubs he received. He hadn't expected to be welcomed back with arms wide open, and he wasn't at all hurt by the cold, almost offensive stares thrown his way. 

Although he didn't admit it out loud, he was grateful for Naruto and Kakashi's presences. They often joined him during meals and made it clear to everyone else that _they_ accepted him back. To his surprise, there were others who greeted him warmly, most of them members of the former Rookie 9. They spoke to him graciously, politely avoiding the topics on his whereabouts when he'd left the village and were unfazed by his customary short answers. He didn't mind their company, though it irked him to see the Jounin vests Nara Shikamaru and Rock Lee wore, the Chuunin vests Akimichi Chouji and even Yamanaka Ino sometimes donned. Once, he even caught a glimpse of the intricate tattoo on Naruto's upper arm. It didn't shatter his confidence, for he knew how far he'd achieved, but the clothes and tattoos were a stark reminder that in spite of the power he'd gained, he was still officially a Genin.

From Sakura, however, he neither heard nor saw, and learned from Naruto that she was kept busy with her work at the hospital and duties as a ninja. More than once he'd heard her being referred to as "Sakura-sama" and knew that like both himself and Naruto, she had reached far. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, for the mark on his shoulder was firsthand proof of how much she'd improved, but he couldn't help but recall the images of a skinny, pink-haired girl fading into the background while he fought their enemies.

To his consternation, he discovered he still had some "fans"—as Naruto laughingly pointed out. Females, ranging from twelve to thirty, blushed when he walked past them and gave him coveted glances. Sometimes he'd return to his apartment to find dishes waiting for him on the doorstep with scented cards that said, "Welcome back, Sasuke-kun." Naruto and Kakashi took immense delight in ribbing him about them and he dimly considered if he should wear a shirt that said, "Traitor. Stay away."

He was walking through the training fields, where he worked daily to regain his stamina, when he noticed a small group standing near the lake. He spotted the familiar heads of Naruto and their former sensei and sauntered over, slightly curious.

It was Naruto who saw him first and the blonde grinned as he motioned Sasuke over. "Oi, Sasuke, you're just in time."

"In time for what?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pocket.

"For the show," Naruto answered in a mysterious way that made Sasuke want to hit him, but he resisted the urge and followed the direction Naruto was pointing at.

With a slight start, he recognized the pink-haired figure standing several feet away. Sakura was poised in a fighting stance, her long hair tied in a high ponytail above her head. She was dressed in a pair of black pants and a black tank top and Sasuke realized it was the first time he'd seen her outside her medical uniform. His male eye couldn't help but appreciate the neat lines of her body, the creamy skin of her bare arms.

His eyes strayed from her to Tsunade who stood in front of her, also in a fighting position. The Hokage was dressed as she always was, minus the robe her position dictated her to wear. There was a small, anticipating smile on the older woman's face as she stared challengingly at her apprentice.

He realized something else: the two women were in the middle of the calm lake and they were standing _on_ the water.

"They do this once a month," Kakashi informed him. "Maintaining to stay above water while fighting isn't easy and this is their way of perfecting their chakra control."

"It's always great to watch them spar," Naruto put in, "and a lot of people usually turn up to see them."

Sasuke looked around and saw the truth in Naruto's words. Several groups gathered around the river, most of them shinobi. "Are they here to watch the fight or are they here to ogle?" he asked sarcastically when he saw a group of men staring intensely at a certain pink-haired medic.

Naruto grinned. "Well, that's half the fun. Sakura's like my sister, but even I can see she's hot."

"Tsunade-sama's not half bad, too," Kakashi added, earning him a look of disgust from his former blonde-haired student.

Tsunade grinned at her apprentice. "The crowd seems to be larger today, Sakura," she observed. "I'll try not to embarrass you so much."

Sakura smiled cockily and lifted her arms. "Ditto, shishou-sama."

The Hokage crooked her finger. "It's your turn to make the first move. Show me what you got, _kid_."

"I always do," Sakura said and broke into a dash, her arm outstretched.

Tsunade deflected the blow and water splashed between them. "You're faster. You still train with Lee from time to time, don't you?"

"Less talk, more action, shishou," Sakura declared, swinging her leg which again Tsunade avoided.

Sasuke tried to pay attention to the match on a whole, but his eyes couldn't help but stray again and again to Sakura. He observed her motions, her agility and the utter fluidity of her movements. He saw the sparkle in her large green eyes, the utter smugness of her lips whenever she managed to land a blow on her mentor. He'd never seen her take such enjoyment in fighting and couldn't prevent himself from smiling when her laughter rang out as she drenched the Hokage.

Of course, Tsunade wasn't Hokage for nothing. She, too, managed to land in her punches and more than once the crowd gasped as Sakura was flung several feet backwards and into the water, resurfacing with sputtered curses.

Fascinated, Sasuke watched as Sakura swing back her wet head and blow hundreds of small balls of fire from her mouth. Tsunade stomped on the water and defused the fire, but narrowly managed to avoid the hundreds of needles that flew toward her.

"So she modified the jutsu."

Sasuke glanced over the shoulder and saw that the speaker was Shizune. The dark-haired woman held a pink pig in her arms as she too watched the match between her leader and her fellow medic.

She noticed his glance and clarified, "I taught Sakura that jutsu. The first few times she almost swallowed the needles, but as you can see, she's gotten better. Hell, she even modified it."

"Aa," Kakashi agreed softly. "She's gotten better."

Sasuke silently echoed the sentiment. There was something about Sakura that made her appear graceful, even while she currently resembled a drowned rat.

Suddenly, Sakura jumped backwards until she stood almost six feet away from Tsunade. Something about her stance compelled Sasuke to activate his Sharingan and from the corner of his eye, he noticed Kakashi had lifted his hitai-ate.

Sakura's hand moved in a flurry of motions and light mist began to surround the river, obscuring the two women from the others' sights. Due to his blood limit, Sasuke was able to see them clearly and his gaze focused intently on Sakura as she clapped her hands together, muttered a word and then spread her arms wide. Suddenly, a wave formed on either side of her, sharpening until they resembled large blades and with a quick motion, Sakura sent them hurtling toward her mentor. Tsunade moved to deflect them, but was distracted by the large wave coming from _behind_ her. She flew into the air, but due to the waves, she didn't notice the young woman above her. She lifted her arms, but this time she was unable to avoid the roundhouse kick Sakura presented and was heaved into the waiting river beneath her.

Sasuke was nearly struck speechless and Naruto, noticing the expression on his friend's face, grinned proudly. "Last year, Sakura spent seven months in the Water country on a solo mission. She must have picked up a few things."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask and re-lowered his head band as the mist evaporated. "I've only seen her perform that jutsu once, but I didn't catch it the first time. I've been waiting for her to do it again. Interesting, wouldn't you say, Sasuke?"

The black-haired young man nodded, but returned his attention as Tsunade reappeared from the water, her blonde hair trailing wetly past her shoulders. She moved her hands and a small blue light burst forward, accurately hitting Sakura at the left side of her torso.

"Yeah, Tsunade-chan, shake those hooters!"

Complete silence abruptly engulfed the area and everyone turned to stare at the white-haired man that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, shaking his arms as he cheered for his former teammate.

Naruto slapped his forehead and groaned. "Sometimes, Ero-sennin," he muttered, "I wonder how you survived all these years."

"He's definitely a masochist," Kakashi observed soberly.

The fight between Tsunade and Sakura had halted entirely and Sakura watched as a glacial, almost frightening gleam appear in her mentor's red-brown eyes. She sighed and lowered her arms, knowing that their match had ended for the day. It was probably a good thing, she mused as she grimaced from the twinge on her rib.

"Shishou-sama," she called out. "Just remember that I have other patients to take care of, too."

The Hokage's smile was feral. "What fun will that be, Sakura?" she murmured. "We'll continue this fight next month. You did good, Sakura, but you're still a bit rusty with that last jutsu. Your recovery time is still too slow."

"Hai. I will try to do better," Sakura replied and then grinned. "And remember, he's your friend."

"Right now, I've developed a short-term memory loss." And with that, Tsunade disappeared and coincidentally, so did Jiraiya.

Sakura shook her head and climbed out of the river, acknowledging the cheers she received with a polite bow. Someone tossed her a towel and she wrapped it around herself as she approached Naruto, Kakashi, Shizune and, much to her surprise, Sasuke.

"Nice, Sakura," Naruto declared, giving her a brotherly pat on the arm. "You're gonna have to teach me that water thing you did."

"Hai, hai," Sakura laughed.

"You're faster," Kakashi pointed out, unconsciously echoing Tsunade's earlier words. "Lee must be training you hard. Are you still wearing the weights he gave you?"

"Only when I'm sparring with him," she replied.

"Did you use any poison on the needles?" Shizune wanted to know.

"I save those only when I'm fighting the enemies, Shizune-san. I don't think shishou-sama would've appreciated it if I momentarily paralyzed her."

Naruto snorted. "She'll probably use it as an excuse to get piss-faced drunk. Do you think she's going to go soft on Ero-sennin today?"

"Not likely. God, what was he thinking telling her to-to shake her hooters?" Sakura sputtered.

They—excluding Sasuke—burst out laughing, knowing that the white-haired Sannin was certainly going to be unable to walk for several days.

Sakura turned to look at her former black-haired teammate, the corners of her lips curving upwards. "Sasuke," she greeted politely.

He glanced at her and then glanced away. Instead of returning her greeting, he said, "Your side's bleeding."

Sakura could feel her smile fading and unexpectedly, disappointment filled her. She set her jaw. What had she expected, really? For him to compliment her? Anger simmered within her and she brushed past him with a cold expression. "I'm going to change," she announced.

"I'll help you with your cut," Shizune offered as she followed her fellow medic, the squealing pig held close to her chest.

Naruto scowled and shoved Sasuke, making sure to hit his still tender side. " 'Your side's bleeding?'" he mimicked. "Is it your default setting or do you _try_ to be an insensitive asshole?"

Sasuke shoved him back, but he didn't say anything. Inside, an emotion was beginning to form. He recognized what it was: _guilt_. Hell, why _had _he said that?

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

Kakashi, who was standing beside him, heard and said, "Nicely put."

"You dickhead, are you going to apologize to Sakura?" Naruto demanded.

"She's a shinobi," Sasuke snapped through gritted teeth. "If she can't handle one small comment, then she shouldn't be one."

Naruto shook his head and furiously stomped away. Kakashi sighed, briefly patted Sasuke's shoulder and walked away, leaving Sasuke, once again, alone.

* * *

Sakura was having a splitting headache. She was still recovering from a particular blow she'd received from Tsunade yesterday—Kami-sama, but her teacher's immense strength was _terrifying_ at times—and Jiraiya was the worst patient a medic could ever wish for. He constantly hit on the nurses and was forever dropping objects onto the floor just to see the uniformed women bend down to pick them up. Sakura couldn't even begin to count the number of complaints she'd received and had finally ordered only male nurses to attend the legendary Sannin. 

She stretched her arms and shrugged off her medical robe, wincing when she accidentally yanked several strands of her hair. She was glad that her shift was over; she was in dire need of a bath. A patient had accidentally vomited on her and though she'd washed herself off as best as she could, she still didn't feel clean enough.What she needed, she thought tiredly, was a long, hot soak in the tub.

She left her office and walked through the partially empty hallway. A nurse called out to her and she turned to acknowledge the greeting; thus she didn't see the person coming from the other end.

"Oof!" she gasped as she bumped into what seemed like a warm solid wall. She quickly righted herself and lowered her head. "Excuse me. I wasn't paying attention."

When she didn't get a response, she looked up and her eyes widened slightly. "Sasuke!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

He lifted his hand, which held a small plastic bag. "To get some medicine." The admission was given grudgingly and she knew it bothered him that he still needed the painkillers.

"Are you done for today?" he suddenly asked.

"Yeah. I was just about to—"

"I'll walk you home."

Sakura frowned; he sounded as if he were forced to make the offer. She took a step back. "You don't have to. I can walk home by my—"

"I'll walk you home," he insisted.

"Fine," she snapped.

Several minutes later, they were walking through the streets of the village. There weren't many people around; it was nearly dinner time and thus it wasn't as noisy as it was during the day. The silence between them, however, was deafening and Sakura felt compelled to break it.

"Ano," she began cautiously, "I heard from Tsunade-sama that they're making you train with Kakashi-sensei again."

He glanced at her and then slipped his hands into the pockets of his black pants. "Aa. Since all of the Genin teams have been formed, they decided it would be best if I just continue my training one-on-one with Kakashi. They're still discussing how to go about with my . . . my status," he said in disgust.

Sakura hid her smile. It was the best way, she concluded. She couldn't picture Sasuke training with kids nearly half his age. Naruto would probably give him hell and she'd undoubtedly have to spend longer hours at the hospital attending to fire-induced wounds.

"Sakura."

"Hai?" she said, almost too loudly.

"I—I haven't thanked you," Sasuke stated, clearly uncomfortable. "For the tomatoes."

She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Oh, _that_. I made a house call to a farm. The owner's mother was sick and as thanks for healing her, he gave me enough produce to last me a month. I remembered that you liked tomatoes. I didn't know if you still do, but I took a wild shot."

"Hn. Thank you, anyway. They were—they were nice."

"I'm glad."

They reached the corner heading toward her apartment building, but when Sasuke continued to walk straight ahead, she called out to him. "Where are you going, Sasuke?"

He frowned. "Don't you live that way?" he asked, gesturing at the opposite street.

She flashed him a smile. "Not anymore. I moved out two years ago. My mom lives there with my aunt now."

"Aa." He made a move to follow her, but she stopped him.

"You don't have to continue," she told him. "This is out of your way. I'll be fine alone."

"I told you I'll walk you home, didn't I?" he said impatiently.

_You don't have to sound so surly about it_, she thought but didn't say it out loud, and satisfied herself by rolling her eyes when her back faced him. _Honestly!_

They resumed their walk and once again, silence fell between them. Standing next to him, Sakura couldn't help but observed how much he'd changed physically. The times she'd seen him at the hospital he'd been sitting down and yesterday, she'd been too annoyed to take much notice of him. She was still annoyed, but not enough to ignore her curiosity.

To her dismay, she discovered he was so much taller than her. She wasn't short by any means, her height that of an average twenty-year-old female, but compared to him, she felt like a dwarf. The top of her head barely reached his broad shoulders. He wasn't bulky; rather his muscles were toned and defined, his body lean and well-honed like a runner's.

"Where is it?" he suddenly demanded, breaking into her train of her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Your apartment? Which one is it?" he asked edgily.

"There." She pointed at a neat, brown-colored building. "But you don't have to walk me to the door. You can leave—"

"Stop telling me what to do, damn it," he snapped.

"Well, sor-_ry_," she hissed. "If you'd stop acting as if there's a stick up your ass, I wouldn't bother!" She whipped on her heels and angrily stomped up the stairs leading to her apartment.

Much to her irritation, he followed her, his steps lighter, much more quiet compared to hers.

"Naruto lives nearby, doesn't he?" he observed as they walked toward the end of the hallway, where her apartment unit was located.

She took a deep, even breath, forcing herself to calm down. She wanted nothing more than to knock him over to the next village, but she pressed herself to act dignified. She was already regretting her earlier outburst and she didn't want to embarrass herself further.

"Yes, he does," she answered in an even tone. "Kakashi-sensei does, too. When I moved out, I thought it'd be nice to live here. Far enough to have my privacy but close enough if I ever need them."

"Hn" was the reply she received. She swore it was his all-purpose word. He used it when he didn't want to talk—which was more often than not—and he used it when he couldn't (or refused to) come up with an appropriate response._ They should put the word in a damn dictionary with his picture beside it_, she thought, irritated.

She reached her front door and years of her mother's etiquette training compelled her to ask, "Do you want to come in and have something to drink?"

He resisted the urge to smile, wondering if she realized she had shouted the offer. He shook his head. "No, thanks. I have to head home."

"Don't let me stop you," she said coolly as she unlocked her door.

"Sakura," his deep voice halted her.

She turned around and looked at him. He was standing too close, she reflected and unexplainably, her heart began to beat faster than its natural pace. "Wh-what is it?" she stammered.

He took a step closer and she instinctively stepped back, her shoulder blades brushing against the smooth surface of her front door. "About yesterday—"

She swallowed and then lifted her chin. "Forget it. I have," she lied. She hadn't, but she wanted him to think that the days when his words could hurt her as much as a kunai through her stomach were long gone. She was no longer the starry-eyed girl she'd been and just thinking about it made her cringe with embarassment. She'd made an utter cake out of herself then and she would be damned before she did it again.

He stared at her for long moments; a part of him was relieved that she wasn't going to make him apologize, but he wasn't blind. He knew she was lying, that she hadn't forgotten his insensitivity, but the thing that held her back from letting him apologize was the same thing that made him uncomfortable to apologize: _pride_.

He debated what to do; he wasn't the type to be indecisive but since returning to Konoha, he realized that—much to his dismay—he kept second-guessing himself, especially around a particular, pink-haired medic who had once claimed her undying devotion for him.

"Sasuke?"

His jaw flexed and then he said, "It was good match, Sakura." It was, both of them knew, the closest he'd ever come to apologizing about yesterday's incident.

Despite herself, Sakura smiled and the motion brought Sasuke's eyes to her mouth. Strange, but he'd never noticed how different a woman's lips were from a man's. Lips were lips, right? But Sakura's caught his attention. They were full and almost bow-shaped, with a natural tinge a shade darker than her hair. She must have licked them a second ago, because they were glistening under the dim light of the porch. Would they taste like strawberries?

The second the question popped in his mind, Sasuke reeled his head back and jerked his eyes away from her mouth. Kami, what the _fuck_ was wrong with him? He was thinking of _lips_, for God's sake!

Sakura saw the scowl forming on his face. _Now_ what was wrong? "Sasuke?"

He moved away from her as if she were the plague. "Go inside, Sakura," he practically growled. "It's getting late."

She frowned. His moods were as unpredictable as the sea! "Sasuke, are you all right? You look—"

"I'm fine, damn it," he snapped. "Stop bugging me."

"Excuse me for caring! God!" Without another word, Sakura turned around and entered her apartment, closing the door with a slam hard enough to shake the building.

Sasuke waited until he heard the click of a lock and then turned around to head back to his own apartment.

**To be continued . . .**


End file.
